A Faded Rose
by The Burnt Jewel
Summary: You've never seen anything like her. That's because Sakura Mikan is different.
1. Chapter 1

Higuchi Tachibana owns GA…not me…..

A Faded Rose

"Jii-chan, im home!" cried a ten year old girl, running towards the elderly man. He smiled.

"What took u so long, mikan?"

"Gomendeh, I was playing with Hotaru" She hung her head. "Ne, mikan, its okay…but don't do it again, na?"

"Arigatou, Jii-chan…..i wont do it again" she hugged him. He smiled.

BOOM!

A blast echoed the house, shattering the glass as well as evaporating the door. Mikan and her grandpa were thrown backwards. Amidst the smoke entered a tall , hooded figure, with his face covered with a white pearl mask. Mikan looked up from the rubble, coughing slightly. "Nice job, Hayate" a voice said." Now go round up the others."

"N-Nani?" she asked, a bit scared.

"Sakura Mikan, am I right?" the cold voice asked.

"H-hai?" she replied. "Come with me" it commanded

"W-Why s-shoulldd I come with u?"

" Because I discovered a talent in u" the figure came closer." Why are u coming closer? Back off!"He paid no heed to her cries. HELPPP!" the girl screamed. No answer." HELLP!" She tried again. "Foolish girl, no one can hear you!"

Mikan got scared ."Why isn't anybody coming to help me and jii-chan?" she thought "Oh no," she suddenly remembered "JII-CHAN!" she cried out loud, looking towards the rubble and dust.

"Jii-chan, where are u ?" she called

"Jii –chan?"

"Hush , little girl!" commanded the voice. "Enough of your wailing…come with me!"

"But jii-chan!" she said through tears.

He picked her up, resisting her kicks and endless wails, smirking. "Somebody, anybody , come here!" she cried

"You…..LET ME GO!" she thrashed her arms around his shoulders and tried to bite him.

"Dont u understand?" his hands held her tighter, revealing HIS talent. "WHA..?" Mikans life seemed to drain out of her eyes…."whats happening to me?" she thought. She tried to fight back, only to experience a more cruciating pain. She winced slightly and collapsed, unused to such shocks. "Lets go" he commanded to the students waiting outside the tea shop.

"Hai Hai…Persona…"

!

"eh?" Mikan opened her eyes to the irritating glanced at her surroundings and sighed

"It was just a dream…" she mumbled, wiping sweat off her forehead…it had been 5 years since that event has took place. She adjusted herself and looked at the clock….

"Oh crap…its way past my wake-up time" she got up quickly glancing at the mark she had received just a few weeks ago…

"It'll fade…eventually" Persona had declared after examining it…"But be careful, kitten..lest it stay permanently"

"Good Morning, Shiro Neko"

The voice cut her trail of thoughts.

"Yea…you too," she replied back, emotionless and cold. He touched her hair.

"Go, get ready and meet me in the lawn." She pushed his fingers out of her head and exited towards the bathroom. "Still angry, I see?" he smirked , examining a pendent at the bedside table.

Meanwhile, Mikan got dressed, wearing a blank tank top along with matching jeans and her shiny black shoes. She grabbed her mask and gracefully jumped out the window, landing on her feet. With a blink of an eye, she entered the lawn.

"I see you woke up quite late in the first place. Why so, I may ask?" Persona announced, appearing from the corner of the bushes.

"I…I slept late"

"I hope it may not happen again, Shiro. You know how much I respect punctuality"

"Yeah, so?"

"So…...It looks like….. u haven't received punishment for a while…." He said, smirking, "Well then, we will attend that later on….."

She muttered a thousand curses under her breath.

He carried on. "Assuming we have lost much time on your 'behavior', I will see you 6:00 sharp at the abandoned storehouse…Meanwhile…let's see your skills, shall we?" He flashed an evil smirk, descending to fight.

Mikan chose this opportunity to knock him out but barely missed him by 2 inches. "Still ahead, I see" His eyes narrowed.

Next, she threw a wind distortion at him. He blocked it with a flick oh his hand. "Tch tch….that's all you got?"

This fired Mikan up. She threw icicles towards his direction which he dodged by jumping up.

"It's my turn now." he said, an evil smile escaping his mouth.

He released daggers which she easily dodged and produced fireworks, causing her to lose balance and fall down. He reached her was about to touch her, but then she kicked him and got up quickly, produced a tornado and blew it towards him. He ducked, only to be thrown backwards. A blue flame erupted , which instantly surrounded him.

"I've got you now" murmured Mikan.

He got up, smiling. "Well done, Shiro. Looks like you are becoming fast. I'll see you at six."

He left, walking through the blue flame and into the woods. "Puh…" she said, rolling her eyes.

"I better get going..it's already 7:00" she mused

After reaching her room, she went towards the mirror to examine her right shoulder which had black bruises all over it due to the fireworks.

"Damn you….Persona" muttered Mikan as she used her healing alice to remove the marks.

The bracelet glowed in her left hand, as she used her alice. She quickly changed, grabbed her bag and ran out of the HQ.

She teleported inside the school building and figuring that the class had already started, strolled nonchantly.

"Miss Sakura san! Care to explain why you are late?" asked Jinno, the math teacher.

"Don't want to" She said, yawning as she proceeded towards her desk next to Hyuuga Natsume.

The class looked at her and then back towards the frog-controlled sensei, scared. He closed his fist and turned to face the cupboard.

"Man, will this class ever end?" Mikan thought as he droned on and on. She had got accustomed to the usual stares given by her classmates. Since the day she had come here, she was known as "Natsume's successor" because she was just as cold-hearted as he was and lacked social bonds between each and everyone. Both of them had a fan club- Sumire Shouda for Natsume and Tobita Yuu for Mikan.

"Class, this is Sakura Mikan. She will be studying with you from now onwards" Narumi-sensei said.

Everyone looked at the 15 year old girl standing infront of them.

"My alice is Nullification, Stealing and Insertion. Please don't suck up to be friends with me or you will pay highly for your acts."

Natsume looked up towards the lifeless cold eyes which were glaring back at everyone.

"Humph…looks like persona has found a favorite."He murmured.

"Shiro…you were late"

"So? What if I was?" she answered, chained to a chair.

Persona walked towards her. "Do you remember what I told you in the morning?" Mikan drew a sharp breath but managed to stay calm.

"You respect punctuality…"

"Ah yes…And what made me say that?" He smirked.

Mikan clenched her fists. "You know why, Persona…" she said in a dangerous voice.

He placed a hand over her shoulder and pressed hard. Pain shot up her arm, but she kept quiet.

"Firstly, Mikan Sakura, when I ask u a question, I expect an honest answer…" he said, tightening his grip on her. She winced. He smiled.

"Secondly, call me sensei….You ought to know that by now…" His hand slid up to her head, bringing head-hammering aches. She let out a soft moan.

"And, last of all, I hate late-comers."

A small gasp escaped her lips as he caught hold of the silver bracelet and pressed it hard. She clutched the wooden chair, composing herself again and again as the painful beat continued up till her shoulders.

"So you haven't have had enough, have you?"He boomed, looking at the tiny figure crouched in the chair. The pain was more intense, as it cruised through every part of her body, barely missing her heart.

"I wonder when you will scream….about time you did too…."He smiled, looking at his watch whilst holding her hand.

Blood trickled down her mouth as a vein burst. Tears flooded her cheeks and her body seemed to give away. She fell limp, unconscious.

He wiped away the tears with his long, cold hands, smirking.

"Did you forget so easily?" He said as his fingers ran through her cheekbone. "I made you…"

Cautiously, he pulled her out of the chains and teleported the scraped girl to her room. He laid her on the bed and locked something around her hand.

Persona threw a bottle containing a shiny, black liquid. Then jumping out of the window, sprinted towards the Northern forest.

Hey guys…please tell me how it is…..and share your opinion too…..Ja Ne~

Burntjewels15


	2. Chapter 2

GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana….

A Faded Rose

Chapter:2

"Ugh" moaned Mikan as her hand ran towards her head.

"Wait…." She thought as she sensed something was wrong.

She couldn't feel her hair. She looked at her hand and her eyes narrowed. A black metal glove was strapped to it.

"Great…as if the anklet wasn't enough…"

She tried to unhand it, but the glove could only be unlocked by the devil himself. Cursing him under her breath, she got out from her bed and made her way towards the mirror. She gasped.

There, lo and behold, on her right eye, a scar traced her face. It cut across her eyelashes, like a river and ended below her eyebrows.

"What the hell...?"

"No way… I bet she have got some serious treatment"

"I heard that she was brutally punished"

"No wonder there is a scar on her face"

Mikan walked towards her classroom, ignoring the loud whispers emitted by the good-for-nothings.

She entered the classroom…with a bang, of course. The whole class looked up. She glared at them and proceeded towards her desk, beside the other equal apprentice who was currently missing.

"Shiro" a voice declared.

She froze. No one had the guts to call her by her mission name except…

She spun around and threw a dagger. He caught it by its handle. The whole class watched bewildered. Mikan's eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here, Persona?" She spat towards the smirking teacher.

You've been assigned another mission, of course" He said flatly.

She growled under her breath and walked towards him. "I am not in a good condition." She replied back.

"Fine…" He said and walked towards the door.

Wait.

What?

Mikan looked at the retreating figure, incredibly, not believing the man's words.

"Something's wrong" She thought.

The door kicked open. The whole class turned to look at the figure. It was Natsume.

He looked at Mikan and noticed the scar.

She looked back, coldly and proceeded towards the hallway.

"Oi" said a male voice, interrupting Mikan's daydream. She raised her brow, expecting him to be the last person who came face to face.

"Whats with the scar? Some sort of fashion trend or something?" Natsume asked.

"None of your business, Hyuuga" she replied coldly, ignoring his looks.

"Its every bit of my damn business. You are my partner and you better spit it out, girl" He said, glaring at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, really? Since when did you start implying that stupid partnership?"

"Since now. Any problem?"

"Yes, except that I don't waste my precious time over unnecessary things." She got up, dusting her skirt off and walked towards her dorm.

He couldn't care less, except the fact that the scar resembled something….dangerous. He sprinted towards her and caught hold of her wrist.

She stopped dead on her tracks and looked towards her arm. Who dare to catch HER arm?

"Im not going to leave you" He said, looking at her eyes which changed color.

She pierced his fiery rednest with her own icy hazel orbs….which once held laughter….

"Oh…so now you're going to stop ME?" She sneered as she snapped her left hand. A black flame in the shape of a jaguar erupted and leapt beside Mikan.

Natsume's eyes widened. "The Formation Alice?" he thought, bewildered as the animal gave a roar. "No way…"

"What happened, Hyuuga? Weren't you saying something _brotherly_?" She smirked as the jaguar leaped towards him.

He created a fire barrier around himself, while Mikan stood there nonchantly. The fiery beast leapt up and entered the ring and growled at the flame caster. Natsume produced balls of fire and threw it towards it.

Mikan clashed in between and created a ice shower which easily trapped the fire. She motioned her hands in a circular motion which caused the ground to shake. She smiled evilly as Natsume fell down with the Jaguar on top of him. He coughed.

She jumped towards him and landed gracefully beside him. She clapped her hands and the beast vanished. She knelt down and tucked his chin under her hand. He slapped it away.

She smirked, "Isn't it good to get a taste of your medicine?" She got up and her bracelet glowed.

Mikan suddenly gave a whimper. He looked at her hand, small blood lines etching her pale, cold skin.

She composed herself quickly as she teleported to her room. She collapsed on the floor.

"Must…..ha-have…..used…it…a…L-lot…"

Her eyes became blurry as she gasped and winced at the pain. She looked towards the room. Persona must have kept some medicine. She spotted a black liquid and dragged herself towards the bed.

She gulped it down and whimpered. Slowly, her eyes became focused and she got up, still clutching her hand.

"You should take care of yourself" a voice said. Mikan looked up and groaned.

"Not now, Morphyl" She said, directing her talk towards the black cat, which was licking its hair.

"You're lucky that he didn't see you wasting your powers just for some _boy_" She continued, ignoring the glare given by her mistress.

"Why did you come back?" spat Mikan. "What happened to your '4-year pact'?"

"I figured you needed my advice…" Morphyl replied back calmly.

Mikan snorted. "Yeah, right…" She gingerly got up and sat on the bed.

The cat leaped beside her and curled up.

"He is very cute though…" Her yellow eyes gleamed.

"Oh, shut up" growled Mikan as she checked her watch. It was 4:00 in the afternoon.

"I better meet him…" she thought, aloud.

"Who, Natsume?" asked the cat.

"No, Persona" she said, spelling the name in disgust. Morphyl's ears perked up. "What's with the sudden affection?" she asked, purring loudly.

"I don't know…..he was acting weird…Something's up" She went towards the washroom and started changing to her mission clothes. She came out and opened the window.

"Its best you do know that he's not in a very good mood right now." She stooped up towards the sill and drew a deep breath.

"Bye Morphyl. I'll see you later" Mikan said as she jumped towards the nearby tree and caught hold of its branch.

"Silly girl….." the cat said as it braced itself and transformed into a black eagle. It then flew out of the window, following the retreating figure.

Mikan sprinted towards the Northern forest…where Persona was usually found. She reached near the oak tree and jumped up, observing any type of movement.

"Ahem ahem" said a cold, unfamiliar voice, directing its gaze towards her. She landed on the ground and got up.

"What do you want?" It rang again. "I granted you your wish"

"I wanted to know the reason behind you giving up so easily" said Mikan.

"Shiro, a decision taken is itself held with utmost importance. The cause behind it need not necessary" Persona declared, his hands withering a flower.

"Well, it matters to me." She replied

"Try to remember about our deal. I won't forget easily" He said, smiling. She flinched but eased her ground.

She turned, facing the tree trunk with her back towards him. "Morphyl's back" she said.

"That's because I sent her." He said, still smiling.

She spun around, surprised. An eagle flew towards them and perched itself on a tree.

"Nice for you to drop by, kitten but I'm busy right now" He said, walking towards the denser trees. Mikan sighed. She was never going to get her answer.

She was in no mood to be indifferent. So she trotted towards him and caught hold of his arm. He hissed.

'What now?" He asked, not looking at her. She faced his back and said, "I know what you are going to do now. So let's make a deal" He turned around and looked at her, smirking.

"I'm listening" he said.

"I'll do the mission but in exchange you have to tell me something." She said, regretting every word.

He traced her scar and smiled. She slapped his hand away by her metal glove and said, "Yes, that. I read a boy's thoughts and it kind of struck me"

"Deal" He said as he threw a black colored file towards her. She caught it, and opened it.

"The whole information is written inside. You have to steal an Alice proof vest from the AAO. You have got 4 hours. Report to me at 3 am. Your mission starts at 12 am. Good Luck" he said. She nodded as she read the file.

"You'll get to know about your _scar _when you'll report to me" He added as her mouth opened to ask the same thing. He turned and sped off, his black robes flying in the air.

Mikan left towards her sakura tree. She particularly had a fondness for it since it held her name. When she reached it, her eyes narrowed.

There, taking a nap on the highest branch with a manga covering his face was….Natsume and below were a pack of girls who were squealing his name.

"Oh, Natsume-sama, be mine!" A girl said, with hearts in her eyes.

"Tut, girl. He has chosen me!" said another fan. Mikan approached them with a look of pure disgust and coughed slightly. The girls stopped throwing roses and faced her.

"S-Sak-Kura s-san?" a blonde squeaked, meeting her cold eyes. If there was anyone who was scary and mysterious other than Natsume, it was Mikan- The Death Princess.

"What are you doing here?" She said coldly. Natsume opened his eyes and took off the manga covering his annoyance. He glanced down and saw _her _questioning them. He smirked.

"A-Amo, w-we were d-" Before they could complete their sentence, Mikan spoke. "Get lost before I freeze you" She said, a dangerous aura circling her. The girls screamed and took off, the bouquet forgotten on the pathway.

She walked towards the tree and jumped, landing beside Natsume.

She crossed her legs and closed her eyes, preparing to ambush anyone who disturbed her sleep. Natsume looked at her eyes closed. He waved his hand in front of her. She didn't twitch. Yep, she was asleep.

Hey guys, enjoy! And please review :P

Thanks for the advice

Ja Ne~!

**Burnt Jewels15**


	3. Chapter 3

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter:3

A cat panted, trying to search its mistress. It spotted her sleeping beside that _boy_. It smiled and leapt towards her comfortable lap.

Natsume was surprised to see a black cat curled up in Mikan's lap. It shone its eyes towards him and _smirked_.

Wait.

What?

"So, I hear you're the one who challenged her" it said. Natsume couldn't believe his eyes. Well, mostly his ears. He would have looked like an idiot with that face on but he quickly composed himself.

He did what he mostly could do. He smirked back and said, "A talking cat. Interesting"

He nodded his head and resumed to reading the manga. The cat looked at him and asked

"Tell me…..do you like her?"

Who dare ask HIM such a question?

He looked at it. "What's there to like?" Mikan's body squirmed, trying to adjust to the extra luggage. The cat purred.

"Looks like you loathe her…too bad, champ. She's one in a million" it said, licking its paw.

"Oh, really?" he said, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Mmhmm" it said, cleaning itself. He looked at Mikan, with her eyes closed. She seemed so…peaceful, even with the scar. Yet a fury burned within. He sighed to himself. She was NEVER going to be his….

"And what makes you say that?" he asked, observing her scar.

"You don't know her…..but she knows you….." It chuckled. "A bit filmy, I should think"

Natsume's eyes narrowed. He was getting agitated.

"Listen you weird animal, I don't give a damn about you and your pretty little mistress so you better scuttle off or I'll call Ruka to deal with you" His nostrils flared.

The commotion caused Mikan to stir. "What's with the damn noise?" She thought, irritably. Her eyes shot up at the fluffy weight and she instantly looked towards her lap.

"Morphyl" She said her voice loud and clear. Her eyes showed complete hatred towards the beast, sitting infront of her and purring in her lap.

Natsume's eyes jerked up towards Mikan's.

"Oh, so this kitty even has a name?" He sneered.

Morphyl sat up, grinning towards Mikan. Yep, she was pissed. It stretched its claws and jumped down gracefully. Mikan followed suit.

"Be careful….you don't want to see _my_ evil side" It said and giving one last look towards Natsume, it sped off towards Mikan's dorm.

She stood up and checked her watch. "About time"

"So you have a pet?" The voice was horribly familiar. Mikan rolled her eyes. "What a baby" she thought, smirking.

She looked up and motioned him to come down. Surprisingly, he did so. She walked towards him and poked his forehead.

"You better get this thing right, Hyuuga. I don't need to explain this to you but you seem to have lost all of your wise thoughts. So, I'll break down." She said, her face inches away from his.

"The sun is coming down, Mikan. _They_ will appear soon…so, you better make it fast. I'm not used to dying, you know" he said, as a-matter-of-factly.

He was right. She took a deep breath and said, "_Never_ mingle with me...you might not know what you find" With that, she trotted towards the HQ, leaving Natsume behind.

"Sure sure" he said, with a look of pure sarcasm.

….

"Children, Fast!" said a panicked Narumi as he assisted a group of juniors towards their rooms. He reached their respective dorms and handed them an Alice amulet.

"The Protection Alice" he huffed as he met their innocent eyes. He smiled, despite the tragedy that one of them…would be taken by It.

They nodded and went inside, locking their rooms and hugging themselves.

"Is that all, Narumi?" A voice said, as he turned back towards the hallway. He looked up to see Mikan and the whole DA standing there, with an exception of Natsume.

"Y-Yes" he said, his head bowed down. "Good" she said as she signaled Hayate and Nobara towards the stairs. The rest followed suit.

"Sakura, what now?" said a tall, strapped boy with bandages covering a part of his face. She looked at the rest and said, "Go protect the junior and middle dorms. Nobara, create an ice fort and seal the entrances. Youichi, use the ghosts as a source of information about any attacks." They nodded departing towards their assigned missions.

She gazed at him and said, "You, I and Tsubasa are going to protect the Main gates" They both nodded and took off towards the grounds, preparing themselves of what was about to fall.

…

A deep low growl escaped their lips as the family sensed _blood_ running towards them.

"This is going to be fun" said a sickly, sweet voice.

"Hold your ground, love. We're not even here yet." Said a male voice, as they quickly descended from the tree, inhaling a sweet scent.

"Oooo, tempting" another sneered. The others laughed…...a high-pitched laugh. It echoed through the streets like a sharp knife.

"Silence! We don't want to disturb their sleep." The eldest one said. They walked swiftly without any effort and stopped in front of the main gates.

"Bon Appetite" the male murmured as they jumped over the gates, immune to electricity.

They landed, softly on the ground, only to be faced by the three coldest children.

"Giving company, I see? How nice of you to drop by" said the sweet voice again as she directed her gaze towards the trio.

"Back off, you filthy blood-suckers" said the middle one, a scar visible on her right eye.

"Now that's not very polite" said the male, taking one step further towards her…into the light.

The features gleamed off of this man's face. Red eyes, pale skin, dry lips and a tough, sturdy body.

" Mausaivi" he smirked at his name as he motioned the other 4 to follow him.

The rest looked a lot like him, except the woman and the girl had both strawberry blonde hair while the others had jet black. Their red eyes shone in the dark…..hungry for some food.

Mikan drew her breath and gave a small nod towards the other two. They nodded back and averted their gaze towards the _vampires_.

"Tell me, Mikan…" said Mausaivi. She looked at him. He smiled.

"Why do you protect this school?" he asked, examining his fingernails whilst walking aimlessly.

"Its none of your business" she replied back, coldly. He laughed and held his hands high. The others snickered

"Ever proud, I see… Well then, it was nice knowing you" he said as he suddenly descended in a crouching position, hissing.

He leapt towards them, disclosing his fangs. Mikan created a wind barrier and threw him back with all force. The rest attacked quickly, surprising Mikan and the others. She concentrated on her wind shield but it was too late.

"TSUBASA, TRAP THEM!" She lung out towards the shadow manipulator. He stretched both his legs but could only catch two. Akira released insects and termites to block their path. The girl lunged towards him, knocking him out of his breath.

Mikan sliced daggers and threw fire balls towards them, sending the two vampires towards the ground.

Her bracelet glowed and her eyes widened.

"No…..it can't be" she thought as blood started oozing out of her hand. Sweet….scented….blood. She started panicking and jerked her eyes towards the remaining vampire left. Both of her allies had been knocked down. She desperately tried to create a blizzard but he shook it off. She staggered back and he ran towards her at top speed.

He caught hold of her arm, his mouth open wide, ready to devour the red, precious liquid.

"Now that's some blood" he said, as he looked at it with immense satisfaction. She hit his head and shook his hand off.

He got up, smiling evilly. "Well. If you must know….some vampires have amazing gifts… In my case," he paused, taking another step towards her "I have the Nullification gift" Her eyes widened.

"That's right…and your Alices have no match against me" Pain had already started to build up her legs. She dropped down clutching her glove.

He walked towards her and knelt down. She gasped but managed to whistle. He laughed again and caught hold of her wrist.

His mouth neared the satin soft skin and giving one last smile, he bit it.

She screamed, blood draining out of her body. Her agony was beyond pain…. she felt her eyes get blurry and unfocused.

A shrill interrupted his drink. He looked up, wiping his mouth and releasing her hand. The shrill voice got nearer until a black eagle could be seen.

Its eyes searched its mistress and found her, sprawled on the ground with a man beside her. Fury ripped through its heart as it transformed into a jaguar and crushed the man from behind, breaking his skull. The infinite roar could be heard, echoing through the dorms of the school.

The jaguar sprinted towards the girl, unconscious. It gave a whimper and nudged her but she wouldn't budge. It laid her on its back and slowly carried her towards the hospital, every now and then turning towards the tear-stricken face that hung comfortably.

The battlefield was forgotten. The once mighty warriors lay dead, embraced by a red fire that ripped through their bones, tearing them apart. A figure stood there, watching them burn up with his hand in the air, holding a swirling ball of fire. He clutched it and it vanished, leaving the dissembled bodies as ashes.

….

**Hey guys, please read and review**

**Thanks for the good advice! :D**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	4. Chapter 4

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter:4

"Mikan"

A distant voice….

"Mikan"

The smell of sterilized syringes….

"Mikan"

A warm hand….

Mikan jerked her head up at the mention of her name. She gasped as she clutched her clothes and looked around.

Two strong hands pulled her back into the covers. She spun around to see Tsubasa holding her shoulders. He smiled reassuringly.

"Mikan, calm down. You're safe" he said. She relaxed and plopped up on the pillows.

"How's Akira?" she asked, her eyes closed.

"He's fine. Everyone's safe, Mikan…..Thanks to you" he hugged her.

A sudden pain started up her chest. She felt her blood and windpipe contract. She struggled free from his grasp. He let go, looking at her pained expression.

"Mikan, are you alright?" he asked, holding her hands. She slapped them away and clutched her throat, gasping for pure supply of oxygen.

She squeezed her covers and emitted a blood curdling scream. Tsubasa stood there, stunned at the sight.

"S-st-oo-pp!" she whispered silently as she fell down from the bed and collapsed, still grasping the sheet.

Tsubasa quickly regained himself and blurted the first thing that could come in his mind.

"D-DOCTOR-R!"

Mikan felt her eyes weaken. The pain was more intense…like a fire raging in her throat. She screamed and rubbed her neck, but the pain wouldn't subside. Tears started to fall down her cheeks. Why wouldn't it go?

A brisk, muscular person entered the room and stared at the girl, horrified by the sight. He pushed Tsubasa out of the way, slowly making his way towards the dying teenager.

He pulled a drowsy syringe out of his pocket and hurried towards the girl. He injected the liquid into the body, hoping it would produce an immediate result.

The only problem was….. the needle couldn't be injected.

It broke against the pale, cold skin and the liquid dripped down her arm. He staggered back, wide-eyed.

"Impossible" he muttered as she continued screaming.

Tsubasa reached for her arm and checked her pulse. It was slowly dying away. He opened his mouth in horror.

"DOCTOR!" he shouted. "Do something! She's gonna die!" The said person didn't respond.

"Hey, mister! Are you listening?" he shouted again, shaking his wrist.

Before he could respond, Mikan's screams died down. Her eyes started to flutter and her hands released the covers.

She rose up in the air, a red barrier surrounding her.

"MIKAN!" he shouted as he ran towards her floating figure. He was thrown back because of the red wall. He tried again and again, but to no avail. Her eyes started to change color rapidly. All the radiance seemed to drain out of her skin, replaced by a plain, white sheet.

Her hair became dry and her hands glowed a light shade of green.

The barrier loosened and finally vanished, allowing Tsubasa to catch hold of Mikan as soon as she fell down. The doctor shook himself and motioned him to carry the girl towards the strapped bed.

Mikan's eyes jerked open. She found herself being carried by someone. She groaned and the person stopped.

"Mikan? Are you alright?" asked a quivering voice.

Mikan's nose wrinkled. She squirmed in his hands and pushed him away. He looked at her questioningly and she said,

"Put me down. You stink"

…

The last sentence stopped him in his tracks and he looked at her, shocked.

Knowing that he would hold that expression for five minutes, she hopped out of his embrace and landed on all fours.

"Is this really Mikan?" he thought as he saw the little girl wrinkle her nose in disgust.

She caught him looking weirdly at her. "What?" she said, studying herself.

"Mikan, don't you feel dizzy?" he asked, still hurt by her retort.

She shook her head and dusted her skirt off.

"Seriously Tsubasa…..go take a bath!" She said again, as she held her breath, irritated by the odour.

"Mikan, do you have any idea how that hurts?" he said, his voice small. She frowned.

"I need some fresh air" she said as she dashed out of the hallway, leaving him dumbfounded.

She raced through the corridors and entered the main campus, holding her throat.

She rubbed her neck, again and again, trying to leak out the horrible pain.

"What is wrong with me?" She murmured. She checked her anklet…..it was still green. She sighed, tired and frustrated.

Mikan walked towards her favorite tree and sat down. She tried to recall the previous night encounters….but so far…..

She couldn't light a bulb.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" she cried out, banging her head with the black glove. A small fire broke out, scaring the animals surrounding her.

She paid no heed, being very pissed at the situation.

"You should take care" said a dark, cold voice.

Mikan looked up and frowned.

"Get yourself out of here, _Hyuuga_ or I might do something terrible" she said, snapping her fingers. The fire vanished, leaving a trail of smoke.

He ignored her threat and walked towards the tree, but immediately stopped. His eyes widened.

"What now?" she spat as she saw him rooted on the spot. He looked at her and then towards the tree.

Mikan was getting impatient. She tapped her foot and saw him staring at the tree trunk. She spun around, only to gasp loudly.

The trunk had been punched in towards the inside, which had caused the tree to lean over a taller one.

She looked at the bark and touched her head.

No…..

Could it be?

"Did you just….push the tree?" Natsume asked, his eyes determined.

She turned her body towards him and covered her mouth. "No way" she thought. She didn't have THAT much strength.

Sure Persona had emphasized her stamina and strength as the best, but…..not to this extent.

"I need to go…" she mumbled softly as she ran towards the Northern forest. "I need to talk to Persona" she thought, tears streaming her face.

First the stench, now the strength…

"I need to know about what's going on….Why am I acting like this?"

Mikan hurried towards the oak tree, unknown of the darkness that had caught her.

…

"So you are confused about your sudden change in your compatibility?"

"Yes and I wanna know WHY"

"The answer…though in simple terms, is not very easy to understand, Shiro. Patience is a must in such cases."

"I don't have time, Persona."

He smiled, looking at his favorite pupil and said

"It seems as if your body is adapting to certain changes. Judging by what you are telling me, about your pain and strength, I believe it had originated from a certain…..compound." He said, emphasizing the last word. She frowned.

"So basically, I've achieved all this crap from… a PARTICLE?"

He smirked at her deciphered sentence, saying "In your words, yes. In my words, not hardly"

"What do you mean by that?" She said, glaring towards him, a dangerous aura encircling her.

"Oh my, the effects have disclosed already" Persona said, quickly grabbing hold of her chin and studying her eyes.

She slapped his hands off and backed off aiming towards the opening.

Mikan sprinted forward, but stopped when the cold voice greeted her again

"Be careful, kitten. Don't show eye-contact unless absolutely necessary."

She turned and shouted "What do you mean?"

He smirked and moving towards the spot of collected trees, said,

"It's already turning red."

….

"Is this some kind of sick joke or what?" cried Mikan, examining her eyes in front of the mirror, which now held a deep shade of red…_Bloody _red….

She was back at her dorm and was currently testing out her "new" features.

Morphyl chuckled and leapt towards the bed. "I like red….gives a hint of fear inside others…"

"Oh, Shut Up!" She groaned and collapsed on the bed, beside the black animal.

"Im just happy you're alive…even after that….." It said, smiling affectionately towards her.

"Im hungry" she said suddenly.

Mikan got up and entered the kitchen, grabbing anything edible she laid her eyes on. She came out with a piece of cake and started to devour it, hungrily.

"Ew, woman. Do you have any etiquettes?" Morphyl said, disgusted at the sight as he saw his mistress crunch away 3 packets of chips, 2 bottles of coke and a whole large pizza. She wiped her mouth clean, satisfied that it would fill her stomach but unfortunately…it didn't.

Now it was her turn to be surprised. "Why do I still feel famished?" she thought irritably.

She went up towards the refrigerator and frowned, trying to sweep clean her hunger. But her stomach growled, proving otherwise.

"Are you STILL empty?" The cat said, its yellow eyes wide open. "Gosh…."

Mikan looked towards Morphyl and a growl escaped her lips.

Wait

What?

Her red eyes started glowing as she advanced towards him, slowly and steadily.

The cat looked terrified by her expression and uttered softly, "M-Mik-kan-n? Are you alright?"

She didn't answer as she spread her arms wide and ran towards the cat. Scared out of its wits, Morphyl quickly shape-shifted in the form of a black eagle and perched itself on the window sill.

"Tell me this is a joke…" it thought as her mouth opened wide….

Revealing….. Two white fangs.

She lunged forward, following the eagle outside. The sun shone upon her pale, white skin, reflecting glitters. It flew higher and disappeared behind a crowd of trees, leaving Mikan aimless.

"So thirsty…..so hungry…" she said, her voice hoarse as she ran towards toward the dense forest.

She stopped and searched for an animal. Soon enough, she found a deer, drinking water from a pond. She caught hold of it from behind and plunged her sharp teeth….. inside its body.

The animal winced in pain for a second, but lay limp in her hands. She devoured its _blood_ as if… it was the sweetest thing in the world.

Minutes after the whole liquid had drained out of its body, she threw the carcass away, lighting a fire which gulped the body down.

Mikan wiped her mouth clean, her fangs descending into its normal level. Her eyes flashed a shade of green, signaling the arrival of a beast.

A new era had begun….

A new-born had arised…

A new vampire had entered….

A WAR was about to take place…..

…

**Hey guys, please read and review**

**Don't forget to enjoy!**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	5. Chapter 5

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 5

"Hey there!" said a blonde boy as he sprinted towards a male deer.

It looked at him and cringed, taking a step back.

He stopped. "It's okay…..I'm not going to harm you" he said, taking a step further, his animal pheromone activated.

The deer staggered yet again, and without any warning, sped off towards the forest.

"Strange….." he said, frowning. He checked his watch. The sun was about to set. He turned, walking towards his dorm but immediately halted.

"I heard that it was bitten badly and all the blood had been _sucked _out…"

"Really? No wonder her husband is so jumpy…"

He turned his gaze towards the two rabbits who had been talking. His eyes widened.

"_Bitten?_ But there is no man-eater in the forest…" he murmured, still shocked by the piece of news.

He walked towards them and slowly bent down, averting his tearful eyes toward the duo. They looked at him, sadly.

"T-Tel-l m-me-e its-s n-not-t tr-rue-e…" he said suddenly, his voice quivering. One of the rabbits hopped towards his leg and embracing it, said,

"I'm so s-sorry...Ruka-kun"

He covered his face with his hands and cried…It may be such a small thing to you…but this animal lover could not bear the death of his friends….and now, sat there, crying silently.

Oblivious of the boy, a figure stood by, hiding behind the oak tree.

"Shiro Neko" the cold voice murmured, clearly angry.

"What have you done?"

…

The girl walked up towards her room, her clothes smeared with blood. She held a satisfied smirk on her face as she floated through the hallway.

Luckily for her, no one was around or they would have informed the middle school principal. She reached her room and blasted the door open.

The room was a mess. Mikan ignored the half-eaten cake on the floor and jumped on top of the bed. She eyed her surroundings, which were quite filthy, at the moment.

She rolled her eyes and smiled smugly.

"Time to test my abilities" she said and snapping her knuckles, set to work.

Her hair whipped away as she ran at an inhuman velocity, cleaning her room.

Mikan's body blurred as she effortlessly lunged towards the bottles of coke and the empty packets of eatables.

A moment later, you could see a girl standing in the middle of the room, observing the spotless room. She dusted her hands off and patted her back.

"There…..all done". Her red eyes shone in the light. A thud interrupted her praise.

She swung around and caught his neck. He smirked.

"Great reflexes….I see" Her eyes narrowed as he freed his neck from her grasp.

"What do you want?" Mikan spat.

"We weren't able to finish our little…. _talk_" he sneered.

"What's left to talk about?" She asked bitterly, her good mode all gone.

"This." He replied and threw a little box towards her. She caught it and threw him a questioning glare.

"Contacts." he said, eyeing the red liquid swarming inside her eyeballs. She snorted.

"I'm not blind, Persona" she scoffed.

"But you will be…if you don't put these on"

"Yeah right." she said, still not believing his claim.

"This is the best I could get." He said, as she opened the box, revealing two thin, bowl-shaped lenses. She picked one of them and examined their color.

"Muddy brown? Seriously?" she said, her tone giving a hint of sarcasm.

"It's the best I could get." he retorted, proceeding towards the window.

"What if I don't wear it?" He stopped and turned around, meeting his own black eyes with her red ones.

"I'll make sure you wear it, Shiro. You don't want to cause pain, do you?" He smirked, his eyes glinting in the sunlight.

She closed her eyes, wishing he was dead.

Man, was he a pain…..

"Get out before I bite you." She growled as the pain had already started building up her throat.

He smiled, and with one last look, jumped out of the window and disappeared in plain sight.

…

"Hello, my fluffy teddy bears!" a girly voice shouted towards the class, dancing his way out to the front.

"Eh? What's gotten into him?"

"Probably visited the mental hospital on his way here"

Narumi beamed towards the unique people but sensing she had not come yet, pouted.

The door opened with a bang. All seventy eight eyes turned their gaze towards the person.

Rather, a vampire.

She entered the classroom, but immediately got whiffed away by the scent.

The sweet….

Alluring…

Tasty….scent.

Mikan clamped her mouth shut from revealing the fangs and slowly walked towards her desk. Her throat burned.

"Mikan-chan, are you alright?" Narumi asked, a bit worried.

"None of your damn business" She hissed, glaring at him. He gulped. The whole class shuddered.

She reached her desk and sat down, closing her eyes. But sleep was miles away from her.

Narumi, seeing that Mikan had taken her desk, cleared his throat.

"Attention class! As I was say-"

Another loud bang shortened his speech as Natsume entered, ignoring the loud whispers.

"Ah, Natsume-kun! How nice of you to dr-"

"Shut up, ugly"

Mikan opened her eyes to see him coming towards her. Her nose wrinkled.

"Oh, damn" she muttered as he sat beside her, propping his legs up the table.

She shifted her weight further towards the wall, trying to avoid the heavy, musky scent lingering around him.

Mikan tried to block out the yearnings being fantasized in her mind.

But she couldn't help and notice the way his veins rushed at his every move…..

The way his blood boiled when he got annoyed…..

The way the red liquid, which defined his arrogance, oozed out of his scars and cuts…..

"Oi."

Mikan snapped out of her thoughts, facing two red eyes. Natsume was looking at her, his eyebrow raised.

She turned away, and staring out of the window, said,

"What?"

"What are you staring at?" he asked, ignoring her question. She continued to look towards the campus.

"The sky. Any problem, Hyuuga?" she said, eyeing his throat from the corner of her eye.

It clicked as he talked, producing a moving sensation up and down his throat. She wondered what it would taste like…..his flesh, its taste and its scent…

Her hair caught fire. She looked at it and rolled her eyes. She snapped her fingers and the fire vanished.

She tore her gaze away from a squirrel and turned towards him, bored yet excited. But she didn't see the anger in his eyes.

Natsume was pissed.

VERY pissed.

"Are you in another world, girl?" he growled. Blood rushed up his face, making him more irresistible.

Mikan closed her eyes and said, "You better shut the hell up. You're being loud."

"Then why don't you create a barrier for yourself?" he sneered.

"Because I want to bite you." She thought, looking at his neck. She sighed silently and turned her head away, hiding the light that shone out of her eyes.

Natsume was confused and annoyed. Confused because she was acting weird, looking at his throat from time to time.

Annoyed because she wasn't answering any of his questions…..Just staring out in space.

He shrugged. "Who cares?" he muttered, turning his gaze away from her.

…

The beast rushed towards the three animals, and finished them off with a blink of an eye. She ran towards five more, sucking their blood out, before wiping her mouth clean.

This was not consoling enough. She needed _his_ blood. She needed that scent in her body, in her soul.

Except…she didn't have one.

"Maybe I can help you." An unfamiliar voice greeted her.

She spun around and smirked. Her bracelet glowed.

"Oh, really?" she said, still holding the look of contempt. He nodded, his hands shivering.

"And what about your little friend?"

He gasped. "N-Natsum-me-e doesn't know-w about-t t-this-s!" He cried out.

"What if he finds out?" Mikan said, enjoying every moment of their conversation.

"He-e wo-ont-t…"

"You better burn this in your head, _Nogi_ that if he finds out about our little chit-chat…..your death will soon be decided by me" she threatened, a jaguar erupting from her snap.

He gulped and nodded slowly. The jaguar growled.

"Let's go, Phylon" she said, motioning the fiery beast to follow her. It scuttled away from Ruka's sight, leaving him dumbfounded.

"Sorry, Natsume" he whispered silently, staring at the receding figure.

…..

Mikan barged in the hallway, too preoccupied to see him standing there. He caught hold of her wrist and pushed her close.

She met his eyes and looked down, fearing he would notice the change in her eyes.

But then again….he was holding her close.

His breath touched her nose, and a fire started on its own. She squirmed, knowing that she couldn't hold it much longer.

But he thought otherwise. He wanted some answers, some or the other way.

"Are you wearing contacts?" Natsume asked, looking at her eyes.

"Oh dear god, no" she thought helplessly. She looked at him and said

"Release me, Hyuuga"

"Nuh-uh. Not until you answer my questions"

The nerve of him!

"I don't give a damn about your questions. So get lost."

"Fine…I'm not going to release you. Suit yourself"

She glared at him, wishing she could wipe that smirk of his face.

"Oi, I'm waiting." He said, ignoring her death murmurs.

"I'll freeze you to death if you don't release me right now."

"I have the fire Alice. I can easily melt it." He rolled his eyes.

"Not if it's my specialty." She said, smirking evilly.

She snapped her fingers and an ice dome started building up. Natsume shook his head.

"I'm not going to fight you" he said coolly.

"Then unhand me NOW" she growled, her throat burning.

"I will…but on one condition" he said, smiling. His eyes glinted mischievously.

She rolled her eyes. "Back off, Hyuuga. I'm not agreeing to anything."

"Tch. Your choice." He said, tightening his grasp.

She groaned. The pain was more intense, and was jumping up and down her windpipe. She would lose it if she wouldn't rush out.

Mikan glared at him. "I'll get you for this." She spat.

He smirked. "Spit it out so I can get going." She said, gruffly.

He moved closer, until their lips were inches apart.

"Kiss Me."

**Hey guys please read and review.**

**Don't forget to enjoy!**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burnt jewels15.**


	6. Chapter 6

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 6

Eh?

Her eyes widened, her breath accelerated and her mind started to give warning signals.

Kiss _him_? No way…..this would increase her yearning for his blood. She looked down towards the floor and snapped out of her protests.

"What the HELL are you saying?" she growled suddenly, very desperate at the moment.

He smirked and replied, "Should I repeat it for you?"

"Yeah and while you do that, release me" she said sarcastically.

"Nope. Fulfill my condition and you are free to go." He said, enjoying every moment of it.

"I would have if I was not a blood-sucker." She thought, sadly. Seriously, what was with him and conditions?

"Fine" she said angrily and pushed his chin towards her. His eyes widened.

Wait.

Was she really going to do this?

Had he really pissed her THIS much already?

His thoughts were cut off as a sensation built up his nerves. Something soft was brushing against his lips. He opened his eyes to see Mikan _kissing_ him.

He had to admit.

She was really good.

She felt her intensiveness increase as she tasted his mouth. So soft, so luscious. God, she wanted to bite them off right now.

His hand travelled up her waist and pulled it tight.

The other held her neck close, forcing her to remain in this position.

Frankly, Natsume was surprised at her eagerness. But he, being the slim shady, charmed girls out of their wits. He pulled her closer, not wanting to break the kiss.

He enjoyed every moment of it.

Mikan pulled away, her eyes glowing.

"Bite him, Mikan…..Bite him now" her conscious screamed, controlling her every move.

Natsume looked up towards her eyes and smirked.

"I never knew you liked me this much." He said, his scent touching her nose, sending ripples down her body.

She pushed him back and released herself from his grasp. "Shut up. I did this because I was forced." She murmured, still a bit dizzy.

He let her go and walked away. She snorted and was about to turn, when he called her.

"The kiss told otherwise." He smiled smugly and took off, not looking back.

She stared at the figure, hatred filling her every muscle.

"You're dead…." She spat, loudly enough for the whole hallway to hear.

….

"Concentrate, Shiro! Concentrate!" a cold voice shouted, tapping his fingers on the tree bark impatiently.

Mikan tried to focus as a rock hit her leg. What was wrong with her? She shook her head and set herself on the task given.

"I'm…..trying…." she said, as another bullet missed her by two inches.

Her eyes darted towards the ball of wind and she leapt up in the air, creating a, electric barrier around herself.

"Enough" she bellowed, fed up of the accurate aims. She joined her hands, strengthening the fort around her.

The barrier crackled as the wind was blown towards it.

She landed gracefully and threw large balls of fire towards the target. She shook the ground to break its balance.

Yep, she was DAMN angry.

It fell down before her feet. She looked at it, her eyes glowing with fury.

"Sloppy start." The voice said lazily, interrupting her built up fire.

She spun around and walked past him, catching a rabbit. He turned around and watched her sink the venomous fangs inside its fur, slowly taking its life away.

Mikan threw the useless leftovers in the ground and snapped her hand. Phylon appeared, scenting lunch. Its eyes fell upon the dead rabbit and ran towards it, gobbling it up silently.

She patted its fur. It crooned.

Persona smirked. "I haven't seen Morphyl in a while." He said, eyeing her carefully.

Her hand froze. She looked away, trying to avoid her master's eyes and said, "She ran away. She got scared of me." Her voice showed no emotion.

He walked towards her and touched her shoulder. She slapped his hand away.

"She'll come back when she's ready." He said, ignoring her coldness. He walked towards the battlefield and picked the rock up.

"I trust that you remember our deal?" Persona asked, weighing the rock with his palm.

She spun around. "What do you mean by that?" she spat, offended.

"Shiro….don't indulge yourself in daily pleasures …..Unless you want to kill someone."

He lifted the rock up and threw it in the air. It soared high in the air before withering and turning into dust.

Mikan witnessed the rock turn into ashes, before barging towards him.

"What about this?" she hissed, pointing her finger towards her scar. He smirked.

"You didn't do the mission. I didn't tell you the story. End of discussion." He walked past her, but immediately stopped.

Phylon was standing in front of him, growling furiously. His tail swished as he blocked Persona's path.

"Scary" he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He leapt up, landing beside a tree, dusting his clothes off.

"Meet me at 8:00. I'll start training your new abilities till perfection." He said, disappearing within the forest cover.

"Bastard." She hissed, balling her fists. Phylon growled.

"C'mon….I have some duties to attend to" she said, still staring at the woods.

It nodded, following her footsteps. She glanced at the sun, smirking.

"Finally….we'll meet."

….

Natsume threw himself towards the sofa, exhausted by the mission. He examined his cuts and snorted.

"Stupid humans." He said, rolling his eyes. He unfolded his sleeves and closed his eyes.

So soft…

So sweet…

So….irresistible.

He jerked his eyes open, totally annoyed by these thoughts. He shook his head, trying to throw the images off his mind.

"_Dude….she kissed you!" _His conscience screamed.

"So? It was just one kiss…" he murmured, shrugging the fact off.

"_You know it was more than a kiss…It was something electrical…"_

"Shut up" he growled. "I've kissed girls more than I can imagine."

"_Yep…but they were all freaks."_

It was right though. He had kissed an innumerable of girls just to see them swoon in delight. But Mikan was different. He slapped his forehead.

"Great…now I'm listening to you." he mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"_Man up, mister."_

"Yeah, right." He said, sarcastically. "Why am I even applying your theories? Go back to where you belong" He added, pointing his finger towards the door, clearly unaware of the fact that he was talking to himself.

"_Because you believe in love."_

"Your crossing the line…" he spat, lighting a fire, waiting for it to retort something back.

Out the window, Ruka was watching with his mouth hanging open.

"Nat….sume…" was all he could utter, witnessing his best friend fighting with himself.

Natsume heard a voice and spun around to see someone utterly bewildered.

"_Got you."_

He mentally slapped himself.

…..

"Ahoy, my dear class!" shouted the unmistakable voice, skipping towards his "beautiful" beings.

Everyone ignored him.

As usual, Mikan opened the door with a bang, with her hand over her mouth.

"Mikan-chan…are you okay?" Narumi asked.

"Shut up, dope bag" She hissed back.

She proceeded towards her seat, ignoring the silent stares from her classmates. She sat down and looked towards the window, resisting the throat burn.

He sighed and clapped his hands. The children turned their gaze towards the weird sensei.

"Okay, people!" he said, his mood turning happy.

"We have a new transfer student in Alice Academy! He's going to be studying with us from today onwards. Please welcome him with warm hands!" He said, motioning a certain person to appear. He entered the class, not a least bit bothered.

Girls drooled and boys snorted. Whispers erupted from the corner of the class.

Narumi coughed. The rumors died down. "Please introduce yourself." He said, directing his gaze towards the pale, white boy.

"Hakiro Shaman, fifteen years old. Petrification and Life Alice." He said, his red eyes observing the surroundings.

"Thank you Hakiro-san. Your partner will be…" Narumi said, scanning his eyes for the right person.

"Ah, yes. Please take your seat next to Sakura Mikan. She will be your partner." The class groaned. Mikan shrugged, eyeing the newcomer. Her eyes widened.

Pale skin…

Bloody, red eyes…

Jet black hair…

No way.

"Hullo…partner." He said, smirking. She looked at him and smirked back, clearly satisfied.

He was one of her…

He was a vampire…

She shook his hand, still smirking.

"Hello….Hakiro"

…

**Hey guys! Please read and review!**

**Don't forget to enjoy!**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burnt jewels15**


	7. Chapter 7

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 7

Frankly, she was relieved to hear that Hakiro was a vampire. At least she would get some company.

_Real _company.

She set her foot back, practically in a good mood. But her instincts told her to be careful. She had to test him first. But right now…..screw it!

Her optimistic behavior was replaced by a growl as the door banged open. Of course, it was the oh-so-hot Natsume.

She snorted, dismissing the previous day's happenings. It was just a condition that had to be fulfilled. Nothing personal…

Right?

His face etched otherwise. He, in his daily foul mood, glared half of the girls and burnt the other half till they were technically bald.

"Natsume-kun! Don't you love me?" a girl cried dramatically, holding her half-burnt hair.

"Shut up, ugly."

He went towards the 'usual' seat to sit down and take a nap.

The only problem was…

It was already occupied.

His eyes narrowed as he motioned Hakiro to stand up. Mikan caught Hakiro's hand and glaring towards him, said,

"He's my new partner."

Natsume scoffed. "Like hell he is. Now tell him to leave this place or I'll burn him to ashes." He said, a dangerous aura surrounding him.

Mikan rolled her eyes. She pointed a finger towards Narumi. He turned around. The teacher nodded.

Ok…now THIS was embarrassing. And Natsume hated those who embarrassed him. He loved his pride till death and would NEVER part with it.

He looked towards her, angry. She returned it with a smirk.

Yep….she was gonna die.

He went towards the backseat and sat there, covering his red face with his manga.

Narumi sensed the thick cloud of tension in the atmosphere and slightly rapped the table.

"Ok, people! Since everyone has adjusted to the new surroundings, shall we move on?"

There were murmurs of a faint yes.

He beamed, taking the piece of chalk in his hand, and started writing.

"It's going to be a long day" he said, grinning.

….

"Oi"

The voice was to die for.

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Oh for the love of god" she muttered unhappily. She ignored the voice and kept on walking towards the sakura tree.

He caught her wrist and shook her.

"I was calling you" he said angrily.

"Leave me alone, Hyuuga" she muttered coldly.

"Why are you ignoring me?" he said, oblivious of her protests.

"I said leave me alone. I don't need to explain this to you" Her throat burned.

"Are you angry about what happened yesterday?" he said, smirking.

She looked up, irritated by his retorts. She slapped his hand away in mere fury.

"Yesterday was history, mister. Don't take it up to your heart." She spat.

"Then you mind telling me about your sudden behavior." He smiled.

"Why am I even justifying myself in front of _you_?" She shook his arm off, and walked towards the tree trunk, sliding down.

He started to barge toward her but was stopped by a hand which caught him on his shoulder. He turned around, to see Hakiro holding him back.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He said, smirking.

Mikan looked over his shoulder and smiled, happy at the arrival of her ally.

"Thank god you came…" she muttered, loudly enough for Natsume to hear. He growled.

"Shall we?" Hakiro said, taking her stone, cold hand. She nodded, observing _him_ from the corner of her eye.

A tree was sacrificed in the far corner of the eastern woods. It fell down, turning into ashes.

He put his hand in his pocket, irritated by the pain that was building up his temples.

Whoa.

Why the HELL was he bothered?

It wasn't like they were lovers of some kind… It was just a kiss…..a stupid, meaningless, kiss. Or so he thought.

He banged his head against the tree, tired of the thoughts that kept lurking him.

"I've gone mad" he muttered, rubbing his forehead.

…

They ran towards the deer effortlessly, as if made of air. She spun around to see how far his steps were.

Mikan smirked, looking at the proceeding figure. She leapt up and caught a tree's branch, swinging herself forward.

He saw her sprinting towards the pack of animals and moved faster, amazed at her strength.

They reached the spot where the antelope and his 'friends' were drinking water from a pond. Mikan put a finger on her lips and crunched forward, aiming herself at a particular fat deer.

"Now watch the master…and learn." She whispered towards Hakiro, crouching down. He smiled evilly, waiting for the attack to take place.

She lunged forward, creating a fire trap around the other animals. No way to escape.

Mikan caught the deer by its tail and caught hold of it, sinking her teeth in the pounding heart. It struggled for a moment but then fell down, dead.

"Clean." He said, approaching her, as she washed her face with water. She nodded, motioning him to devour the other animals.

"I'll just pick one, thank you" he said, scanning them from head to tail.

"The others are for Phylon." She said, wiping her face. He raised his brow questioningly.

She rolled her eyes and snapped her left finger. The jaguar appeared and quickly threw itself towards the trapped animals. In a moment they disappeared, owing to the fact that Phylon was famished.

"Good Boy." She said, patting its fur. She looked at Hakiro and said,

"Phylon is my formed pet. I made him out of fire."

"So you can form pets too?" he asked, surprised at her ability.

"Mmhmm." She said, observing the carcass left.

"What about you're other Alices? Can you form pets out of ice, wind, mud too?"

"Yeah…but I'm currently attached to him."

"Aha." Hakiro said, smirking.

A thud interrupted his question-answer session. They looked up to see a masked man.

Mikan's eyes narrowed.

"Shiro…..we've got a problem." The cold voice said, recognizable.

"Where?" she spat, clearly uninterested.

"Outside the Academy. Better hurry now….you don't want to be late, do you?" He sneered, examining his fingernails.

She growled and snapped her fingers. A fire erupted, gobbling up the dead remains. Phylon vanished, as ordered by her master.

Hakiro looked at her, raising his eyebrow.

"Later." She said, still pissed off at the thin figure standing there. He watched her go, leaping from branch to branch, following the mysterious man.

He sighed, and walked towards the opening, only to be stopped by a certain someone.

"Leave her alone" the husky voice said, appearing from the cluster of trees.

"So you were spying" Hakiro said, sneering.

"More like keeping an eye on you" he retorted, his red eyes burning with fury.

"Jealous, eh?"

"Who would in their right mind be jealous of you?" Natsume sniggered.

"Those who would be in love" he said, innocently yet evilly.

"Watch your mouth." He growled, clearly pissed. Natsume raised his palm, revealing two shades of fire. Red and Black.

"So you're going to fight me?"

"Nope. I'm providing an alternative."

Hakiro raised his eyebrow, for the fourth time.

"Choose any color from the following two.

If you choose red, I'll burn you to crisp." He said, smirking.

"And if you choose black, I'll burn you to ashes." His smirk grew wider.

The other opponent shook his head. "Isn't there a third option?"

"Sure. Choose neither and I'll still kill you."

Hakiro laughed. "Who the hell wants to fight in such a situation?"

"Your call. Your destiny." He said, enjoying every moment of it.

"Sorry, chap. But I don't fight love battles." He said, walking past Natsume.

He grabbed his arm and shoved him towards the tree trunk, clenching his fists.

"Listen, you" he spat, poking a finger on his forehead. "I don't give damn about what you do and what you say. But carve this in your chicken head, that I will do _anything_ in my power to protect her." He released his neck and walked off, kicking pebbles on the way.

….

"Let's start" The voice said, smirking.

She looked at him and crouched down, a growl escaping from her throat.

She lunged forward, launching herself towards him. He dodged, creating a wind distortion.

Mikan leapt up, creating an invisible barrier around her. She shook the ground, blasting it off its roots.

Persona jumped, producing a fountain to support his fall. She scoffed, turning the fountain into thin ice, which caused him to lose his balance. He immediately clapped his hands, summoning an eagle. It caught him by his sleeve and safely put him in the ground.

Mikan landed gracefully, a smug smile stretched across her face. Clearly she was enjoying herself.

He threw ice.

She threw fire.

They intercepted, fighting against each other. It was a battle of glory and of pride as the two elements clawed and clashed their way inside each other's bodies, trying to find a weak spot.

Soon enough, the anklet switched red and her bracelet began to glow. She ignored it, concentrating her strength on all aspects of the war.

The opposing attractions vanished, leaving a burnt field and a snowy garden.

Mikan was not going to give up so easily. She threw electric sparks in his direction, which he obstructed by a black cloud.

"No way" she thought, utterly bewildered as the cloud loomed over her, seeping her into the darkness.

His black, coal eyes gleamed as he pushed it towards her.

"D-Death Eater-r?"

…

**Hey Guys! Please read and review!**

**Thank you for the lovely comments! I really appreciate it!**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	8. Chapter 8

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 8

"D-Death Eater-r? But….." stuttered Mikan as the cloud inched its way towards her figure, becoming darker by the moment.

"Surprised?" he sneered, clasping his hands together. "You didn't think I was weak, did you?"

"B-But that's …" She tried to find her voice, but it was lost in the loud thunder created by the black, shapeless cloud.

"That's impossible" she thought as she covered her face from the black fog. Persona clicked his knuckles, motioning the horrific thing towards her.

Mikan looked around. "Something to distract…..something to distract" she muttered profoundly, oblivious of the fact that the cloud of looming before her.

Her body got lifted up. She felt her eyes close and her ears pop as she was seeped into the black hole. She tried to fight the overwhelming force but nothing could finish this devil.

The Death Eater, as she called it, entered her body, aiming to kill her. She moved her hands to scatter it.

But who was she kidding?

It was transparent.

Persona laughed…an evil, satisfied laugh. Soon she would be dead and he would be free.

Free from the deal.

Free from the tiresome battles…..

From the never ending glares.

God, he hated her…...

Hated her till death…..

But luck would never agree to this decision of the evil man.

And so…something unexpected happened.

Mikan's body absorbed the cloud, unknown of her. The Death Eater was processed through every matter in her body, including the vampire atoms.

They seeped every part of it, converting it into energy by the help of her electric Alice and joined the other supernatural powers.

Her eyes opened….revealing fury.

Her hair whipped like a venomous snake.

Her hands glowed a dark shade of green.

Her bracelet exploded, unable to control the enormous power.

Her anklet fell off, burnt.

She landed on the ground gracefully, turning towards the deceived teacher.

Persona's eyes widened.

Mikan…alive?

But…how?

She smiled, hatred filling every part of her face. She walked towards him, the leaves withering and the ground turning black.

He fell back, staggered. He tried to distract her aim by producing powers….

But they fell down, scared.

"S-Sh-hir-ro-o?"

It was his turn to be surprised now. She shook her head, her hair flowing like a river.

"The name is Mikan." She said, her icy voice freezing every part of his body.

"Sakura Mikan."

She raised her hand and produced a black fog. She closed her eyes and knelt down beside him, her hand searching something.

She stopped at his heart and squeezed her hand.

His body withered.

His breathing stopped.

His eyes closed.

He fell down.

Mikan got up and snapped her fingers. The fog cleared, revealing a sunny afternoon.

She walked towards the garden and plucked a rose, red and lively.

Like a ball of sunshine.

Like the old Mikan….before the fated meeting.

She shook her head, seeking revenge.

The rose grew black at her cursed touch, losing its beauty.

It reminded her of herself…..how she had changed within a year.

She walked back towards the body.

The dead body.

She placed the rose at his chest and stared at him.

The Satan.

The demon.

Mikan smiled coldly and sprinted away, a new Alice dawning on her body.

The Death Alice.

…

Natsume walked along the beach, his raven hair messy and his eyes deep in thought.

He was thinking about her.

Even though she was a pain, but he loved her.

Loved her till death.

"_Eh? Where did that come from?"_

He rolled his eyes, expecting it the last voice to talk to.

"Oh, shut up." He said, tired and annoyed.

"_Yeah right. You're going to tell me exactly what happened."_

"Didn't you see it?" he said, irritated.

"_Hey! I was busy."_

"Doing what? Counting sheep?" He sniggered.

"_Muttering curses blurted out by you, thank you very much."_

"I'm not going to waste my time" he said, flinching at the thought of the previous encounter with Ruka.

He was not going to mess up again.

Definitely not in an open place.

Like he said….he LOVED his pride.

"_Well….you already are."_

"Oh, yeah? How?"

"_Isn't it time you've confessed your love?"_

Natsume gulped. "Hey! It was only a kiss!"

"_Didn't seem like that to me though."_

"Enough!"He roared. A couple of birds flew away, frightened at the loud voice.

He banged his fist against the rock. It cracked into two.

"Don't hurt yourself!" a voice called.

Natsume looked up and sighed. "Ruka" he said, plainly.

The blonde boy came sprinting towards him, his good friend.

"Natsume…what's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Natsume looked at him, blood trickling from his hand.

"Ruka" he said, massaging his left hand.

"I'm…..n-not sure…" He stammered, looking down.

Unlike the others, Ruka understood Natsume to a great extent. More than he could imagine.

"You love her….don't you?" Natsume nodded.

"Then take her out!" He said, happily.

"But I don't know if she likes me" He said, washing his bloody hand.

"But she will!"

"What if she likes that Hakiro guy?" He said, anger filling his face.

"Then it's our duty to find out" he said, rubbing his friend's hand.

Natsume looked at him, smiling.

Smiling a genuine smile.

A rare smile.

Ruka smiled back, happiness radiating from his soft, tender face.

…..

"Sakura Mikan…." The voice ordered.

She lay there, hunched on all fours, blood trickling her face. She was all alone, in a strange face.

"You do remember the day….right?" It rang again.

She nodded her head, sweat outlining her forehead crease.

"This day signifies and important history to your past…You do understand, don't you?" The voice loomed over her, like a big giant.

She whispered a hoarse 'yes', clutching the stone. It glowed a bright shade of black, not providing much light.

"This scar will signify your past….your present…and your future…" The voice trailed off.

"B-But-t w-what-t ab-bout-t Jii chan?" She stammered, her hazel orbs reflecting despair and a small hint of hope.

"He is somewhere…..safe. Somewhere far away from you." It smirked at her pitiful condition.

She nodded, thinking what was best for her. The sound of clinking footsteps halted her train of thoughts. She looked up from the stone, clenching her fist.

He caught her arm and pulled her up. She staggered, her two pigtails waving in front of her, dead and dry.

The spidery fingers examined her pigtails and started to untie the ribbon which held the locks together.

Her hair fell down, reaching up till her middle back.

He stroked her hair and caught her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"No turning back" He whispered, smiling evilly.

She swallowed the words, processing them in her head.

"No turning back" she chanted over, again and again, gazing at his cold, black eyes.

He nodded and let go of her in the darkness, trotting away in mere pleasure.

Mikan got up, heaving up and down. She clutched her head and sighed. The dream felt so vivid, so lively.

She shook her head and stared at the covers, her mouth hanging open.

There were torn, hastily and brutally, leaving no stone unturned.

She stared at the sheets, and then at her hands. There were filled with cotton, which was probably from her fluffy pillows.

Mikan walked towards the mirror, examining herself. The scar was visible, alright and glove was bent. She pulled it off, since its owner was no longer there, probably making his way to hell.

She dusted her hands off, suddenly afraid of herself. Something was going on with her…with her body….and with her appearance.

She certainly had grown slimmer, which further curved the outlines of her body, resulting in a graceful posture.

Her eyes were still red without the contacts and muddy brown with it. She hated contacts. They pissed her off.

Mikan groaned, her leg stirring from sleep. Certainly, today was going to be a hectic day.

…**..**

**Hey guys! Please read and review!**

**Thank you for the lovely comments! **

**Please enjoy!**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	9. Chapter 9

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 8

"Did you hear that Persona's dead?"

"Huh, The Elementary School Principal's Puppet?"

"I heard that she was standing there in front of him when he was dying"

"Even worse, I think she's got the Death Alice!"

Mikan snorted as she walked towards the classroom, fully aware of the whisper that was constructed around her. It wasn't untrue though…

She entered the classroom, only to find that no one was there. She raised her eyebrow and was about to leave, when her eyes caught a piece of note lying on the teacher's desk.

She walked towards it and snatched it up. She rolled her eyes at the content written in the paper.

_Mikan-chan,_

_The whole class has gone to the hall to decorate for prom. Do come and lend a hand!_

_Ja Ne~!_

_Narumi _

"Gay idiot" she muttered as she left the empty class and headed towards her favorite sakura tree.

Oblivious of her, she was being watched by two boys, their faces beaming in anticipant.

"Don't worry, Natsume. I'm sure she'll pick you" A blonde boy said gaily, staring at the trotting figure.

"Let's hope so." He muttered under his breath.

…**.**

"Okay, people. Let's decorate!" A voice shouted, as students of various Alice classes swarmed around the hall, activating their unique specialties.

The music began, whilst all the noise. Some danced away; some grabbed their partners while some proposed.

"Will you be mine?" Koko whispered in Sumire's ear as he knelt down, despite his knee injury.

She giggled and nodded shyly, binding his hands with hers and leading the way.

"Good luck, bro. This is one tough stone" Hishonimi whispered as he grinned at his best friend's date.

Despite all that laughter, some seemed….sad.

"Hey, Natsume! Won't you pick me?" A girl cried, looming over him like a tall tower.

"Shut your mouth, seaweed" He growled.

Well, in his case, jealous.

He was desperately waiting for his princess, to enter the ball and accept his love. But deep down, he knew she was never going to be his.

…**..**

"Prom…..stupid" she mumbled as she stroked Phylon's hair. It purred an "I agree".

She smiled, genuinely as she thought about her previous days as a prom girl.

But those days faded like the sun's bright colors. She looked towards the sky, questioning their judgment.

Mikan sighed and slid down, preoccupied by her thoughts. A hand grabbed her arm and began towing her away.

She looked up, clearly unpleased.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing here, all alone?" The voice was familiar. She smiled.

"Tsubasa, I'm perfectly fine" Though the need for his blood was craving and unfinished.

"It's not going to work with me. You get your sweet little face in the hall and help the school" He said, still unwilling to let go.

Phylon followed, happy for a walk.

"But I HATE prom!" She whined, stomping her foot against the cold, bare earth.

Yep, Tsubasa was one of those lucky people who could see her smile. And wail, in this case.

"Geez, woman." He said, covering his ears and giving a pouty look. He pushed his lips further, acting like a small child.

She sighed and slapped her forehead, not happy.

"Fine" she muttered angrily. He grinned widely, flashing his Dracula teeth. She recoiled.

"Ugh…creepy" Mikan muttered, walking with him.

He dropped her at the entrance and bid her farewell. He sprinted away and stopped near a bush.

A blonde boy emerged, nodding. Tsubasa flashed a thumbs up and winked, smiling at him.

"Sorry, Mikan. But it's for the best" He thought grimly as he jogged away, towards his dorm.

…**..**

"Why am I even here?" She screamed. In her head, of course.

Mikan was in the hall, wandering around aimlessly as she observed the students, working tirelessly.

Natsume caught her looking bored and smirked.

"Well, this is going to be interesting" he thought, making his way towards her, a plan organized.

"Have you taken your positions, Operation…_Love_?" He said, clearly angry at the last word.

"Sir, Yes sir!" The voices chorused on the walkie talkie, excited beyond words.

He mentally slapped himself. "What's so funny?" he spat as Nonoko giggled with glee.

"Ok, places people! Here she comes!" signaled a beaming Otanashi, perched on a tree top, with a pair of binoculars on her hand.

Anna quickly splashed a bucket of water on the floor and started wiping it with a mop. The others quickly followed.

Mikan entered the scene, confused about the new addition. She snorted and was about to kick the pail of water, when Iinchou stopped her.

"Sorry, Sakura-san, but this way is blocked" He said, not sounding sorry at all.

Her eyes narrowed towards his sheepish smile. She rolled her eyes and started walking towards the exit but was stopped by a groups of animals huddled around Ruka.

She clicked her tongue, but he paid no heed, singing a musical along with them.

He popped his eyes open and shrugged his shoulders at her. "Get away from the door, Nogi" she snarled.

"Sorry, Sakura-san. But this was the only available spot left for me to rehearse." He said, grinning slyly.

Mikan started tapping her foot. "But-"he added, raising his hand. Her head flipped towards him.

"-there is another way out from this hall. It's just around the corner, opposite to the Christmas tree." He said, nodding innocently.

She glared at him and stalked off, clearly pissed.

"Target is moving. Location acquired" he said, grinning as he spoke through the walkie talkie.

"I swear….if I see any of those scoundrels…I'm gonna-"

"Do what?" A husky voice cut off her death sentence. She peered through her contacts and groaned.

Not _him._

Mikan glared at him…the bold man.

"None of your business, _Hyuuga_" she sneered, as she stopped in front of the X-mass tree.

"Don't you think it's getting a bit old?" He said, smirking.

Her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Your it's-my-bloody-problem attitude?"

"Why do you even care? Leave me alone" she threatened.

"Trust me…I've tried" he thought, gazing at the contacts behind which hid a dangerous personality.

She caught him staring at her and raised her eyebrow. Why wouldn't he go?

"I said, scram" Mikan snapped. He smirked, catching hold of her hand and pulling her towards him.

"Only if you promise to dance with me." He whispered, his sweet scent lingering around her nose. She inhaled the musky aura and sighed.

He was tooooo…_tempting._

"Another condition? No freaking way" She spat, though mesmerized by his fiery red eyes.

Unlike her bloody ones…..

"Suit yourself, then" he said, shrugging the fact off.

She was alarmed, but seeing it was Natsume, the bold…..knight she mentally slapped herself.

Aha…she was going mad…..sadly.

It was because she didn't act all cold and mighty in front of him.

Because he reminded her of warmth.

Hot, blazing warmth.

Dear god, what the HELL?

She tapped her foot for the second time, thinking of a brilliant plan.

Natsume gazed at her lips.

So…soft.

Like a rose…..

So…irresistible.

Like chocolate.

He suddenly wanted to chain her…so that he could have her forever.

Yes, his imaginations were quite brutal, owing to the fact of his crushing, overpowering love.

He was so lost in these thoughts that he didn't notice her sliding her arm away from his hand…until Ruka bellowed.

"Natsume, she's running away!" He whispered fiercely on the walkie talkie.

Natsume snapped out of his daydreams and concentrated on his love.

"OI!" He shouted as she yanked herself away from him, desperate to get out.

He followed her, blazing fire wherever she went. Mikan aced them out by her water Alice.

Alas, she stopped near the door, her fangs protruding out.

"Where the hell is Hakiro?" She thought angrily, as she blasted the door open by her laser Alice.

Unfortunately, he was chained to a store room, his hands and legs tied.

"I'll get you for this…..Natsume" he said, his voice muffled by the echo bouncing around.

…

She snapped her fingers and Phylon appeared, sprinting with her.

She muttered something in its ear and it nodded, losing shape at the same time. It transformed into a bird and caught hold of Mikan's hands, making her soar in the air.

Natsume looked up towards the sky, utterly bewildered. But since his best friend had the Alice of attracting animals, he smirked.

Through the message conveyed by the walkie talkie and eagle appeared, catching hold of Natsume's arm and leading him towards Mikan.

She clicked her tongue and Phylon dropped her down, landing on a tree branch in the Northern woods.

She glanced around, oblivious of a certain dark figure looming over her.

Mikan sighed and jumped down, holding her fangs.

She would not let him see her true nature.

Never in a million years…

Never.

This new determination was quite short-lived as her eyes darted towards an innocent, looking deer.

She lost control of herself, too thirsty and lunged herself towards the juicy animal, tearing every part of its vein.

A voice gasped, holding the tree tightly.

He saw her devour the creature pleasurably and staggered back, unaware of the eagle which was standing behind him, looking very scared.

The fiery red eyes widened.

It was Natsume.

…**.**

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late update!**

**I was not well….anyways do read and review!**

**Don't forget to enjoy!**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	10. Chapter 10

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 10

A nuclear bomb would have gone off somewhere near the Cayman Islands….

The ground would have shaken vigorously, sending the well-built buildings towards the ground, crashing and crumbling….

The universe would have crumpled in front of his eyes….

And he wouldn't have noticed, or would have paid the least bit of attention to this big piece of news…

Because he was in shock…

Because he was bewildered…

Because he felt betrayed…

Betrayed of his first joy…

Betrayed of his first sense of real faith…

Betrayed of his…

His Mikan…

Right now his life didn't mean anything to him. His friends, his enemies were rashly thrown in a pit somewhere and dumped underground forever. Nothing in this whole damned world mattered to him.

Natsume felt numb….

Indifferent…

Cold….

Lost…

So lost in the deep aroma of truth that he didn't see her wiping her mouth and turning her head to gaze in front of him, her eyes glowing.

She met _his_ unique color and stared at them, as if it was bound to happen anyway.

And then it struck him.

Why Mikan was ignoring him.

Why she stared at his throat whenever he talked to her.

Why she covered her mouth whenever she entered the class.

Why she never ate anything.

Because she wasn't human.

Because she left being human a long time ago.

Because she was a _vampire_.

The words hit him like a fierce ball as he slowly gained his composure.

_Vampire…..vampire…vampire…._

He uttered these words under his breath, directing his voice towards his love.

Rather _dead_ love.

She looked at him patiently, understanding his fury, his rage, his rash decisions. He would do anything in his power to deny it.

But the truth cannot be denied.

And the truth was….

That she was a blood-sucker.

A leech.

A parasite.

Mikan leapt up towards him and smiled a small, sad smile. She held his hand and gazed towards his eyes, his expression unreadable.

Natsume's eyes widened as he felt her cold fingers brush against his hot, lively skin.

It took his body a moment to adjust to the new surroundings. His eyes cleared as he saw her holding his hand.

He yanked his hand away and staggered back, his body brushing against the fur of the eagle.

It was poised, ready to attack.

Mikan sighed and slid down, her hair flowing in the wind. She started walking towards the distorted animal, lighting a fire around the bent carcass.

Natsume closed his eyes. He couldn't see this.

He couldn't see his fire being misused.

He couldn't see his fire killing Ruka's animals.

But mostly, he couldn't see his fire being used by a vampire.

No, blood-sucker was a more appropriate word to describe her.

He suddenly felt hatred towards the girl, who was sighing ever so slowly, as if nothing happened.

This hatred burned his fingers, absorbed his mind and filled his eyes with fury.

Black, cold fury.

He jerked himself up and fell down with a loud thud, interrupting Mikan's train of thoughts.

She looked up, half expecting him to run or face her, with full determination.

The other half won.

He walked slowly towards her, every step defining his…..despise.

She proceeded towards him, imitating his every move.

"So" he started, a growl escaping his lips. The voice was cold. More like icy.

She nodded, taking a step further. The wind rustled between them. The air crackled with intensity, sensing the danger between these two.

"A leech, huh?" He said, emphasizing the last word with pure hate.

She merely darted forward, nodding slowly.

"Give him time, Mikan." She thought, looking at the rage inside his eyes.

She smiled and took her contacts off, carefully placing them in the little blue box. She looked up from the object, her orbs boring into his.

He cringed at the sight of the bloody red color, swarming inside the eyeball.

It made her look…_dangerous_.

"Anymore secrets?" He spat, still adjusting to the bright eyes.

"Nope." She said, gesturing herself with her hand. "You would know" she added, her face grim.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. What's the use of hiding every detail when it's already exposed?"

"I don't know. Maybe so that you could betray me some more?" His tone was cold, angry and hurtful.

But she was used to all of this from the beginning.

"I didn't choose to be this" she said, her eyes all icy, reflecting her side of choice.

"Yeah, right" He snorted, rolling his eyes.

He tensed, ready to attack her if she lunged forward.

It was her turn to do the usual. Scoff.

"Natsume, I would have killed you by now if I was only interested in tasting your blood."

He shuddered at the last three words. Mikan shrugged.

"Doesn't change anything." He said, still disgusted.

"I know" She sighed.

He suddenly stepped forward, his eyes sad and asking all types of questions.

"Why?" he whispered, his tone sad.

Mikan looked at him and raised her arm, a mark visible on her cold, pale skin.

His breath accelerated and his eyebrows furrowed, trying to make out the marks.

She traced it with her finger and stepped forward into the sun. The mark glowed a shade of green.

Natsume gasped, as the rays shot everywhere at a short distance, covering everything with its glowing color.

His eyes widened as he fastened his eyes towards hers. Her eyes were changing color.

From red to blue.

From blue to purple.

From purple to red again.

For a split second, he saw it change to the once hazel orbs which he adored so much. But then it faded to black.

"This happens whenever it touches the light." She said, directing 'it' towards the crescent-shaped scar.

Natsume felt as if gravity had given away, broken all the rules. He couldn't concentrate on the surroundings, his head spinning.

This was too much for him.

First a vampire.

Then her eyes.

And now the scar.

"WHAT THE HELL?" His mind screamed, probably cracking a fissure or two.

He felt his eyes blur and his body sway. He couldn't focus on her words.

He was strangely aware of one voice calling his name over, again and again like a mantra.

"Natsume? NATSUME!" Mikan shouted, catching hold of him as he fell unconscious. She ignored the roaring pain in her throat.

If he would have fainted in a normal situation, she would have sneered.

"What a sissy" she would have said when he would have opened his eyes in the hospital room, lying down.

But there was nothing funny about him. In fact, he looked…peaceful.

But owing to the condition, she doubted if he would ever forgive her. Let alone want to see her face.

She raced through the corridors, frantic and jumpy.

This would reach the students tomorrow.

…

"Hey guys! Have you seen Natsume?" Ruka said after he assembled the whole crew for the operation which was currently on hold.

"Nope." Koko said, still holding Sumire's hand.

"We haven't" Yuu said, speaking on behalf of the whole team who were now…utterly bored.

"He should have caught Sakura by now" Ruka proposed, his eyes searching his best friend.

The others nodded, following his example as they buzzed through the crowded hall, trying to spot a specific raven-haired boy, smirking in approval.

But little did they know that he was now somewhere in the woods, where the mysteries had began to unravel.

"Let's all go look for him" Anna suggested, eager to get away from the noise.

Nonoko shook her head and giggled. "He would want some privacy with his love" She giggled again, emphasizing the last word carefully.

The others smiled, unaware of Natsume falling down, unable to process the words in his mind as Mikan dutifully told him the truth.

…

"Concentrate!" Her mind shouted as she subconsciously looked for the precise room.

She found it, kicked it open and entered, immediately claiming the center of all attention.

"Ahem" she hissed, directing her arrival towards a doctor who was quietly eating lunch, his black hair falling in his face. The others stared, open-mouthed at the sudden approach.

He looked up at her and nodded, briskly lunging his food tray towards the trash can before following her outside.

"Imai" she said, the cold edge disappeared. He looked up from his half-moon spectacles, expecting a pause.

"He knows"

His body went rigid as he looked at the arrogant boy, who was now in her arms, sleeping wistfully.

"How much?" He said, his shoulders stiff.

"Only the physical part" she whispered, her face anxious.

Imai nodded again, not speaking. He lifted Natsume off of her hands and sighed.

She looked at him, her eyes pleading.

"Now what?" She said, her eyebrows pulled together.

He smiled, patting her shoulder.

"Now, we wait" he said, as both of them gazed towards him, her lover.

…

**Hey guys! Thank you all for the lovely compliments! My heart is gloating with pride! :D (Just kidding)**

**Please read and review!**

**Don't forget to enjoy!**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	11. Chapter 11

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 11

She drummed with the rhythm, unaware of the sick person frowning at the noise created by her hands.

He squirmed again as she rose her pitch, matching the toneless tap.

That did it.

"Oi" he said, abashed and annoyed. She snapped her head up and blinked, confused.

"Shut that crap" he hissed, his head throbbing with pain.

She looked at him and turned a deep red color, giggling as he glared at her.

This wasn't Mikan.

Natsume observed his surroundings and slapped his forehead, sighing in defeat.

The good part was that he was in the hospital, fit and healthy.

The bad part was that….

He was not alone.

Flocks of his die-hard fans swarmed around him, applying various cosmetics on his face, hands and feet.

"NATSUME-KUN!" A girl wailed crying half-heartedly as her prince charming turned his gaze towards her, melting her heart like chocolate.

Before he could say "Get out of my way, skunk", he was shoved back into the hospital bed and treated upon like a king.

"Natsume-sama, we even have beverages and some other eatables! Would you care to taste some?" The leader said, shying away from his murderous stare.

"Hyuuga-san, which brand would you prefer out of these three?"

"Ah, look at your hand! Did you burn it?" A little girl said, crying. The others scoffed.

"Korimoki, get out of the way! You're crushing his poor, angelic fingers!" A girl said, towing her away from him.

"ENOUGH!" He roared, abruptly stopping all means of business. The girls looked at him, suddenly scared of his temper. He lit a fire in his palm.

That was their cue.

They scuttled away, pushing each other out of the door, before it burst into flames.

He removed all the clips from his hair and went to the basin, examining his face.

His eyes narrowed.

"Whoever allowed them to come here, they'll pay for it" he muttered, cursing the specific person under his breath.

Natsume walked out of the room, a ragged mess and entered the hall, catching sight of a certain her, examining her fingernails. She looked towards him, smiling.

He stopped, his mouth twisting into an angry scowl.

He hadn't forgotten.

"See? I told you, Mikan. But nooo, you never listen to me" she muttered under her breath as she fought against her better instincts.

Meeting him was very necessary.

She wanted to talk to him.

She _needed_ to talk to him.

But did he need to talk to her?

Judging by hid body language….apparently not.

"What do you want?" he spat, walking towards the staircase.

She didn't answer.

"Well?" The cold voice was back.

"I need to talk to you" Her tone was pleading.

He snorted. "Yeah, right. Haven't you said enough?"

"But there's more to hear" she said, catching with his pace.

"Fat lot good it will do to me" he murmured, descending the steps.

Till now, it was he who used to catch her arm and whirl her towards him.

It was her turn.

She caught his wrist, forcing him to stop midway.

He didn't turn around.

"Release my arm, you filthy blood-sucker" he snarled, averting his fiery red eyes to her bloody orbs.

The words hit her like a crashing wave. They hurt her like a whip. She clutched her clothes, ready for the hot tears to spill out of her eyes.

And then, in a split second, she saw herself.

Her past.

How she had easily given way for that…monster.

He destroyed her life, her happiness…and left her in the dark.

Mikan looked at her before life, a new determination building up in her fists.

No.

She wasn't going to back down, either.

Let him call her all the foul words he could find.

She would fight back.

This was her only survival instinct.

And she was NOT going to fall down…..like she had before.

Not again.

She released his hand and climbed up the stairs, not giving a damn about his reaction.

He looked at her, eyes narrowed.

As if it was a signal, she glared back.

And this time….the glare was angry.

Vengeful.

Mikan slowly curved up a smirk in her lips, her eyes glinting with absolute pleasure.

"I hate to tell you this Natsume…." She started, challenging his eyes with hers.

"-but it looks like a war shall be starting soon" she shrugged, and giving a tick, ran off, causing a fierce breeze to blow.

Shiro Neko was back.

In an all new avatar.

…

"The girl has tremendous powers, sir. She could be a useful asset for this academy"

A dart hit the chart, barely missing the right spot.

"I doubt that she may not resort to violence after what she has done." A cold voice said lazily, directing its voice towards the teacher.

It hit again, this time a bit far.

"That's because she has the Death Alice, sir" the voice said again, eager to get his attention.

The play stopped, as the aimer turned his gaze towards the now ecstatic human.

A chair squeaked as the listener got up, walking here and there.

"Interesting….." he said, scratching his chin, and nodding inwardly.

He walked towards the desk and picked up the file he had been examining earlier.

He looked at the picture of the girl and smirked.

The hand picked up the dart and threw it.

It hit the right spot.

"Sakura Mikan" he said, smirking widely. "You're mine now."

…**.**

"And I thought vampires existed in books like Twilight." He muttered, shaking his head as he slid further above the strong branch of his favorite Sakura tree.

And now the name bothered him.

"You are a moron, Natsume." He said, murmuring under his breath. These thoughts were too agitating. And yet….

"_Hey buddy. Long time, no see"_

Ugh. Not him.

"Get lost" he growled, clearly unwilling.

"_I heard about you and her. Sorry, man"_

"Why do you care?" he hissed, shutting his ears.

But of course, the dodo was inside his head.

"_Hey! Give me some credit! I'm the one who controls your feelings, idiot."_

"Oh yeah? How?" he muttered, to low for even him to hear.

"_If you would have paid attention in class, I am hundred percent sure that you wouldn't be asking such a question."_

"Oh, spare me your lecture" he sneered, clapping two hands together in air.

"_Dude…..calm down."_

"And what's that gonna do? Solve all my problems? Convert her into a human?" He shouted. It was relief to let them out. It had been pestering him all day.

"_No. But I'm pretty sure that it won't drain all your energy like that."_

He sighed, hunching his shoulders as he leant towards the bark of the tree.

"_Better?"_

"Not really" he muttered, still furious.

"_This is life, mister. Deal with it."_

He didn't answer.

There was a pause.

"Why?" he whispered in the same tone like he had done in the morning.

"_It's not about her change. You should know that."_

"I am very well informed about her true self, thank you very much" he grumbled.

"_Oh really? And what about her feelings? Have you ever strike some luck with them?"_

The tone was menacing.

"What about her feelings?" he said, surprised at the sudden change in the conversation.

"_Really Natsume, are you blind?"_

"What?" he demanded.

"_You didn't think what must have befallen her when she got to know? You didn't picture her agony, her pain and her fury? Or are you so full of yourself that you didn't even consider it?"_

"Hey! I'm the victim here!"he bellowed, angry at the siding round.

"_But she had to endure all of your sneers, your remarks and your glares even though when it was not her fault!"_

"Who are you to tell me that she's right?" he quickly changed the subject.

"_You're right. It's not my duty to tell you that she is correct. YOU have to figure this for yourself! So there!"_

The voice died down until there was utter silence in his mind except the train of his thoughts.

"Hey! I need to talk to you! Come back!" He shouted, but the voice did not enter his mind once again.

Natsume slid off the tree, angry and devastated. Damn the stupid voice for rendering advice about his actions!

Damn the universe for believing in fairy tales!

But most of all, damn the blood-sucker who turned his lover to one!

Ah, but it was not going to change the current situation.

"If there is a god up there, PLEASE help me!" He cried, pointing towards the blue, clear sky.

"You know, you should control your anger more often" a voice said, interrupting his sudden outburst.

Natsume spun around and rolled his eyes.

"Out of my mind, Tsubasa" he snarled, throwing daggers at his direction.

He walked towards him, a star planted up his left cheek. He smiled.

"Give her some time. She's broken as you are." He said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He slapped it off, and turned around, walking in the opposite direction.

Tsubasa stared at the retreating figure and smiled warmly, shaking his head.

"You young lovers" he mumbled, his eyes full of warmth.

…

**Hey guys! Thank you for the lovely reviews!**

**Please read and review!**

**Don't forget to enjoy!**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	12. Chapter 12

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 12

She trudged along the dirty path, never visited. Her mind was swirling with unfinished answers and repeated questions, trying to block out the one person who had provided pain.

Tears stung her eyes…..and for once, she let them flow down her cheeks, ignoring the thirst that made her wild.

A deer sprinted past her, not knowing her nature.

Mikan caught it with its tail and threw the animal down, making it cry loudly.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed as it tried to call its mate.

"I SAID SHUT UP, YOU BEAST!"

And with one hard push, the deer slammed against the tree, blood dripping down its head.

It moaned softly, but then fell quiet.

She looked at the animal, which had done nothing to cause her pain. It lay motionless, probably dead.

Fury ripped through every cell of her body.

It wasn't the deer's fault.

The real culprit was _him_.

Natsume.

And she would make him pay for this.

Definitely.

With a new born revenge swelling inside her eyes, she took off, towards her room.

…

"Finally, it's prom!" Narumi yelled over the mike, addressing a crowd of students in the hall.

"Hello, my lovely children! You all look mouth-watering today!" He cried, probably over-whelmed by the crackling excitement.

The hall grew silent.

"Eh? Mouth-watering?"

"He's gone crazy, I tell you"

"God, kill me…..kill me now"

Despite the loud, rude whispers, the teacher was elated, literally jumping up and down the stage.

"Ok, then! Start!" He bellowed at the DJ, who was staring at him, his eyebrows raised.

The music started, and the atmosphere relaxed, allowing people to slowly start filing towards the dance floor, as the rhythm ran in their ears.

But there were always some exceptions.

There had to be.

While Hakiro had got out, thanks to the timely arrival of Jinno-sensei, Natsume didn't even bother coming to the festival.

Mostly due to the shocking revelation of his love.

And because he was simply pissed off.

His thoughts were broken, occasionally thinking about school and then back to the vampire truth.

He was so immersed in his rage that he didn't see a certain someone approaching him.

Someone who he didn't expect.

His body froze as a cold hand caught hold of his arm and pulled him in front, cutting his edgy memories.

"Ok, mister. Let's get this, once and for all." A voice said, strangely familiar.

He slowly turned his gaze towards the bloody red eyes and scowled, recognizing the face.

"Don't you get it?" He growled, clearly angry.

"Yes, I do. And that's why I want to make a truce"

He smirked. "Oh really? Since when did you attain that power?"

"Since you started ignoring me, which was technically about twelve hours ago" She muttered, looking at him angrily.

"Shut it, blood-sucker. I don't want to hear any of your theories" He spat back.

"It's not a theory"

"Then what is it?"

"I just told you, it's a truce"

"I don't give damn, girl" he hissed, yanking his arm off of her cold grasp.

Mikan sighed.

Ever so stubborn.

"Fine. Let's have it your way." She said, stomping off towards the ball.

"Interfering little zombie" he muttered, his fiery red eyes blazing with fury.

…**.**

She sat down, waiting for the final dance to take place as the couples swayed back and forth, dancing along the song.

The night was cold. But she didn't care.

"Hey" a voice interrupted her show. She looked up and smiled.

"Hakiro, where were you?"

He frowned. "I'd rather not talk about it" he said, sitting beside her.

She smirked, nudging him on the shoulder, saying "Fans rapt your attention?"

"Worse. I was tied"

She laughed, clamping her mouth with her hand.

Hakiro looked at her and snorted. "What's so funny?" he said, raising his eyebrow.

She shook her head and grinned.

He smiled, happy at her non-existent mood which finally had taken place after quite a long span of time.

Mikan looked up at the bright, black night and resumed her thoughts in a chain reaction.

"Ne, Hakiro" she said, sighing dreamily.

"Hmm?"

"I've always marveled the stars, you know. They seem so free up there in the sky, shining in their own space. I wonder if they will ever come down"

He chuckled. "Silly girl. Stars too have limitations of their own"

She got up and pouted. "Name one" she murmured, hands crossed on her chest.

"They can't move" He said, smiling.

Mikan sat back, resting her head on his good arm.

"How is that a demerit?" she asked

He sighed. "Mikan….do you even know how lucky we are?"

She didn't answer.

"These glittering bodies are sure up, up and away…but they too wish to roam around, talk, gossip, explore the school or do some dancing"

She grimaced at the last word. He winked, grinning.

"Well, in that case, I won't argue" She said, dusting her skirt off.

"Good, I wasn't intending to"

"Well, you weren't supposed to" She said, glaring at him.

"And why is that?" he asked, scratching his chin in amusement.

"Because I would win like I always do, dope" She said, stubbornly.

"This conversation proved otherwise"

She frowned. "Because you didn't answer like you used to"

"You didn't retort back like before"

"But this conversation was entitled on your replies"

"It was also dependent on your questions."

"But my questions were based on your answers"

"And my answers were based on your questions"

She stopped, confused. He grinned, merely enjoying the play.

She pondered over it and finally gave up. "This doesn't make any sense" She said, a bit angry.

He shrugged. "You started it."

"Fine" she snapped back. "You win"

He grinned widely, trying to announce his victory.

"Great, now for my gift" He said, thinking hard.

"Gift?" She repeated, flabbergasted.

"Yep. You didn't think that I was going to let this glory slip, do you?" He smiled smugly.

"I mean, I just won against the pro" He held his hands wide, as if addressing an audience.

"Hmph" she muttered, puffing her chest up.

He got up and smiled. "Mikan"

She looked up. "Hm?"

"Will you dance with me?" He said, bowing slightly.

She was taken aback by his words, but then she smiled genuinely.

Mikan gave him a slight knock on the head before sliding up her arm underneath his.

"Lead the way, your highness" She said in a mocking tone.

He grinned. "Yes, your majesty"

And so they stepped forth into the floor, where for one night, all of their problems vanished, parting for a clear, starry sky.

**...**

"Sir, all the arrangements have been done. We are just waiting for your order." A brisk voice said in a business-like tone.

"Perfect. Go inform the others about the operation. Tell them that we'll leave at two." Another voice replied, deep and condescending.

"Yes, sir. I'll take your leave then. Good Night" The voice spoke again, before disappearing in between the oil barrels.

"Sakura Mikan…Hyuuga Natsume…Here I come." said the deep voice, a vicious snarl escaping from its mouth as he uttered those names.

…

"What was with the current hold, Natsume?" asked Ruka, cornering him in every hallway they passed.

"I told you, Ruka. I lost track of time" he said, guilt sweeping his every word.

"But….at least you could have informed me…I was really worried" he said, his tone breaking.

He placed a hand on his shoulder, saying "Ruka, its okay. I'm alright now. There is no need to worry"

Ruka nodded, hugging him before he let go.

"By the way, Natsume, did you catch Sakura?"

His body froze, responding to the name. He cleared his throat, his eyes narrowing.

"Hah! As if…." He muttered, clearly irritated.

He looked at him and shrugged. "She ran away…I couldn't find her after that."

"Oh….it's okay. We'll find her" The blonde said, clutching his good friend's shoulder, unaware of his rigid position.

"Hn" was all Natsume could utter, though he knew about the holdup.

…**..**

"Thanks a lot, Hakiro! I had a great time" she smiled warmly at her dancing partner.

He bowed down. "My pleasure, madam" he said, grinning.

"Ok….then...I'll see you tomorrow"

"Take care, Mikan"

She nodded, waving her hand towards him as they both crossed different paths. Mikan trudged for her room, clearly tired and sleepy.

She rubbed her eyes profoundly, so as to snap her eyes open, but frankly, she had no idea where she was going.

She accidently bumped hard into a person, as she was trying to figure out the steps.

"Oh….sorry….My bad" she muttered sleepily.

"You look lost child….where are you going?" a deep voice said.

"Umm…..my room" she mumbled, catching hold of his hand as she swayed. It was cold.

"Shall I drop you?"

She shook her head, yawning. "No, I'm fine, thank you" she said, walking towards god knows where.

"My dear, you must be tired." It chuckled.

"Plus…..I think you are going the wrong way" It added, chuckling again.

Too tired to hear out his theories, and damn sleepy to reach the corridor, Mikan finally collapsed in his arms, muttering her room number.

"14 A"

He smiled, evilly as he took her towards the warehouse, occasionally glancing here and there.

"You're mine, Mikan. Finally, you're mine" he whispered, looking at the sleeping face of the girl.

…

**Ok…I know I didn't update as soon as I should have….but…I GOT LAZY! :P**

**Anyways, sorry for the holdup…. **

**Please review….**

**Don't forget to enjoy! (Though you might enjoy spanking me more)**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	13. Chapter 13

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 13

The first thing she could remember vaguely was that she had fainted.

Rather _collapsed_ sleepily in someone's arms.

And that her surroundings were unmistakably dark.

"Ugh…" a groan escaped her lips as she realized her uncomfortable position which was straining her spine. Unconsciously, she moved, trying to straighten herself on her bed.

Except….it was a chair.

Mikan frowned, mentally slapping herself for falling asleep on a chair.

"Idiot" she muttered, stiffening to get up.

Hah! But she was tied strongly!

Ok…..now she was beginning to lose her patience.

"Natsume, it better not be you whose doing all of this." She said, trying to fidget with the locks.

"And turn on the DAMN lights, idiot!" she added, shouting angrily.

Footsteps stopped the supposed 'conversation' as Mikan glared inwardly at the darkness.

"Remembering your boyfriend, are you?" a stone-cold voice sneered, halting her train of slang language.

"I'm surprised, Shiro...that you still don't get the situation." It said again, now closer.

Wait…

Shiro?

No FREAKING way…

Her eyes widened as she snapped her head up, scanning her surroundings.

"No…it couldn't be." She thought as a new realization dawned upon her.

Persona…._back_?

As if it was the signal, her throat spaced an ear-splitting growl, echoing through the dark room.

This time the voice stepped closer, clicking the lights on. His features gleamed in the white light.

Her face grew pale. Though it was also showing some relief.

Relief because he wasn't Persona.

Fear because he was far worse than him.

He was none other…than the Elementary School Principal.

"Sakura Mikan…" he hummed as if it was some precious relic.

She threw a look of disgust as he smirked, proud of his personal achievement.

"What do you want?" She spat, uninterested in the dialogue.

He rolled his eyes nonchantly, as if it was too obvious.

He waved his hand dismissively. "I want you, of course" He smiled smugly.

"Sorry to burst your heroism act, mister, but you don't own me" She said through gritted teeth.

"Well" he said, purposely tracing a finger on his chin, "Since Persona's gone, I think you're pretty much available"

She twitched at the name, the name which she had buried deep under the soil.

"And-" he added, holding up one finger,"-I'm sure Natsume won't mind" he whispered, laughing evilly.

Mikan clutched her fists, trying to overpower her anger. Though she knew that she wanted to crush him.

_VERY BADLY._

Biting him was out of the option, since she assumed that his blood was as filthy as his personality.

She would probably have blood poisoning after drinking his red liquid.

But that wasn't the point.

She glared at him, cursing him under her breath.

"Since my sources informed me that you have The Death Alice…" His voice trailed off, probably hinting the numerous possibilities that had seemed impossible two days ago.

"My my, Mikan…I couldn't resist myself" He said, mocking and innocent face as he continued the story.

She hissed.

"Of course" she said, bitterly, fury seeping every word.

"I mean, to let you lose in the campus….might mark the rise of deaths in Alice Academy" He added as a matter-of-factly.

This ticked her off.

"I might assassinate you and a few others which hold my interest-" she shot back, an evil smile playing on her lips. "-So…Yes"

He stared at her, the play halted indefinitely.

"You're not going anywhere, girl…Not under my supervision" He muttered, suddenly looking dangerous.

"Oh, we'll see" she mumbled, disgust dripping from her every word.

"Yes, darling…we will" He snapped, twirling around and walking towards the door.

"Great, just fantastic" Mikan muttered after the door closed with a loud bang.

**_oooo_**

Anna drummed her fingers on the table, her eyes closed, trying to inculcate a feeling of joy.

Her nonchalance irritated Nonoko as she approached her best friend, tapping her on the shoulder.

Her eyes snapped open. She looked at the science inventor and smiled warmly.

"Hey" she whispered.

"Hi" The voice was worried.

"Is there a problem?"

"No…." Nonoko hesitated, improvising mere denial. But she failed miserably.

Anna got up, holding her hand. "What happened, Nono?"

"It's nothing…" She bit her lip, trying to hold it back.

"I won't tell it to anyone, I promise"

She looked down, trying to debate against her mind.

"Ano…Anna-" she started.

The pink-colored hair bobbed up and down.

"-I-I think-k s-someth-hing's wr-rong-g w-wit-th my-y Al-lic-ce"

Anna frowned, trying to suggest a suitable reason for the conclusion.

"Why do you think so, Nono?" she said, placing a hand on her arm.

"Because…..I couldn't use it during the Alice sessions" Her voice quivered.

She deliberated the fact for a moment before flipping her cell phone open and dialing a number.

Nonoko glanced up at her friend. "A-Anna-a" she stammered.

The girl smiled before answering the other person at the end of the line.

"Hey, Hotaru? Yeah, I need to talk to you…" Her voice trailed off as she caressed her friend's cheek.

"Uh-uh…..okay….fine. Bye" She cut the call and turned towards her.

"Its, okay Nono! I know this cousin of mine from Tokyo who deals with situations like these! You'll be up in no time!" She said, wiping the tears off of her face.

The girl agreed, hugging the warm, human soul that so faithfully cared for her.

The duo commenced, walking out towards their dorms.

**_oooo_**

Seriously…what the hell was wrong with this guy?

Even though now that she was out of his sight, locked up in some warehouse, probably thinking that it was the end of her small world, he should be happy, right?

Hello, people! We are talking about Natsume Hyuuga here.

THE Natsume who is damn irritating, obviously egoistic and a freaking nutcase.

So….after much deliberation, the above assumption is crossed, much to his anticipant gesture.

HAH! Like he cares about the stupid remark anyway.

Now, back to the story. There he was sitting all alone, surprisingly without his manga, when a thought peeks up in his head.

"Where is the creepy leech anyway?"

Yeah…he's talking about the oh-so-sweet Mikan.

And since he can't leave her for the greater good, he decides to _look _for her.

Natsume wandered through the corridors, the rooms, the staircases and through every classroom.

He didn't find her.

Though his mind was screaming for him to come back and catch up some snores, his heart argued otherwise.

Judging by the current situation, it pretty much looked like the latter had announced its victory.

Therefore, his hopes sped up as he searched the remaining area where she could have been.

But, now wasn't the time.

Because the vampires were back.

**_oooo_**

It would have been and understatement to say that she burnt the building down.

Also, it would be unfair to quote that she wasn't angry.

Cause she bloody damn was.

Mikan had tried EVERYTHING in her power to get her off the stupid, clinging chains.

But _he_ knew her enough.

And hence the so-creepy warehouse was actually an enchanted building, which nullified all, let me stress upon that, ALL the Alices which existed.

She slumped on the chair; bruises similar to the pattern of chains outlining her creamy skin. She winced slightly at the force.

Her face was still clean and so was her hair. But she was truly exhausted.

Mentally….not physically.

Because vampires had immense strength, which only gave way during sleep.

But her eyes were a straight give-away.

Since she hadn't fed on animals for the past two days, naturally the red color started to fade.

It gave space for a dark shade of purple, indicating the lack of animal blood in her body.

If only….

She sighed, yet again.

When was she going to get out of this god forsaken hole?

"DAMMIT!" She screamed loudly, her shrill voice bouncing along the walls of the damp room.

Then again…..who could hear her?

**_oooo_**

"Master, congratulations on your mission. I'm sure she will be of great use" A booming voice said, proud at the accomplishment.

He smiled, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"She's different….I can feel it" He whispered, staring at the scene below. Several high school students scooped up in the side-walk, talking freely. The sun danced off their laughing faces.

The person merely nodded, as if listening to some story.

"Master…you won't regret it…" He said again, smirking.

He wheeled his chair round, looking at the picture.

"I know I won't" he said, a smile bracing its way for his mouth.

**_oooo_**

**Hey guys! Thanks for the lovely reviews!**

**And also for reading **

**Please voice your opinion.**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	14. Chapter 14

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 14

The door creaked open, making way for a tall, well-built man.

She looked up from her hands as she saw the shadow stand in front of her. Her eyes narrowed.

Stupid bodyguard.

He came forward, his muscles growing out from his t-shirt. That didn't scare her. In fact, she merely snorted. He smirked, his teeth pulling up in a wide, evil grin.

"Let's go, girl. We haven't got all day" He boomed, looking at the now-still prisoner.

"Like Hell I'm gonna accompany you" she spat, stomping her foot on the floor.

He rolled his eyes and came forward, picking the steel chair and swinging it around his shoulder.

"LET…ME…GO!" She roared, kicking his back with her two legs.

Nevertheless, we are talking about bad guys here.

And so, she was thrown into a dark room, her scowl hiding underneath the black air.

As if on cue, the lights turned on the moment she hit the floor, blinding her in the spotlight.

Mikan looked up to see a glass separation between her and the principal, along with a few other scientists.

Including Imai Subaru.

She gasped, seeing his stoic and calm face among the traitors. She couldn't imagine him being associated with the evil forces…or so she called them.

He looked back coldly, his eyes empty and unforgiving. To think that she had trusted him, of all doctors, was…disturbing.

At that moment, she made a decision.

She was either going to live with it…or _face_ it.

No way in earth was she going to absorb the bitter remarks spat on her face. Nor was she ever going to leave them alive.

She loathed them…which gave her a fair view of the higher-ups.

"Die, filthy mongrels" She thought as a vision made its way through her eyes. The vision of a normal life…along with her child and her lover.

Yes….she would fight for it.

Meanwhile, the Principal seemed to have hatched another plan.

He was going to test Sakura Mikan.

Rather, to be more specific, her ability.

He motioned the others to start discarding the ceiling to let some 'insects' in.

The loud blast was enough to break her plan rampage. She swiftly looked up, only to make out three figures leaping up in the sky.

She screwed her eyes to get a clear picture. He smiled. His plan was working.

"Let's see your abilities, darling" He thought, smirking wickedly at the sight.

**_oooo_**

They landed gracefully, whisking themselves up before the confused girl.

"Hello, princess" The blonde said, smiling with fake pleasure as she unmasked her true form.

Mikan gasped, backing out of the battle-field which had haunted her for so many weeks.

Yet there they stood, livid and real, their pale skin gleaming off the white light.

"Or should we say…-" she added, lightly tracing her jaw with her finger "-sister…".Her smile grew more and more pronounced.

Four growls filled the cool summer breeze, three against one. Yet one was enough to tick them off.

He gave the signal; they lunged forward, knocking all means of escape impossible.

Mikan hissed, slamming herself against the boy, knocking him on the ground. She caught his arm and twisted it around, whilst freezing him in place. But she didn't have much time in her hands.

The others merely produced their magic; one who was a wind manipulator while the other read her mind.

It was hard to block out the latter girl since she was annoying, guessing each and every move of hers. But Mikan dared not show her true nature in front of the whole human population, therefore using her Alices to crush the enemy to death.

The man was far more disturbing. But with a slight leap towards his shoulders, cracking his neck sideways with the help of her thighs, he was silenced forever.

"I guess it's just you and me…" she sneered, throwing her damp hair backwards, crouching in a pouncing position.

With one last growl, she lunged forward, stretching her hands out. Mikan jumped towards the sky and with full force landed on the girl's back, cracking some bones. She screamed at the pain, but couldn't get up.

"This is what you get for siding with the wrong team, woman" She snarled, her feet touching her neck, threatening to break it into pieces.

Meanwhile, with his fingers crossed, holding his chin, the principal was delighted.

Ugh….the nerve of him.

He glanced at Imai who nodded smugly, disappearing behind the door. The scientists looked bewildered at the sight of spilled blood, though it was cold and unlikely.

He got up, straightening his tie, literally ecstatic to meet her. Motioning the team to approach and lock the target in place, he flew towards the door, not wanting to waste any moment of it.

Mikan glared daggers at the ascending Alice team, comprising of highly trained professionals. She snorted, knowing that she could kill them all in go.

But a certain fear stopped her.

Rather a certain _someone_.

Tsubasa scowled at the idiot holding his throat tightly as they stepped in front of the light.

"_Really_" he protested, struggling to get free from the uncomfortable, rough hands. "This is unnecessary, guys" he added, trying to laugh it off.

He immediately stopped when a pair of eyes met his. A familiar pair of red eyes.

She slapped her forehead, mentally cursing herself. It was because of her that he was in this dire situation. God, she had been so stupid!

Of course, the devil would pull some strings to lure her. And it looked like he had won triumphantly.

"M-Mik-kan-n?" He stuttered as his feet dragged his body, though his eyes were wide open, absorbing each piece of evidence.

She sighed, turning her eyes towards his face.

"W-Wh-hat-t ar-re you doing-g ove-er her-re?"

"Tsubasa…." She shook her head. "This is wrong….very wrong" she realized.

"Ahem Ahem" a voice condemned.

Immediately two cold eyes spun to stare at him, sending all the hate they could through their stares.

He looked at them, a small amused smile making way to his lips.

"Wow" he muttered, gulping mockingly. "I'm s-so-o s-sca-ared-d, Mikan-chan" he cried, faking fear.

She snorted. "Really, Shika. You could do better"

He laughed, a high-pitched laugh, before averting his gaze towards the two.

"Oh, don't get used to this, dear." He said, smiling sickly. "It's just for today" he added, signaling her to come closer. She hissed, edging towards Tsubasa.

"Get to the point, bastard" she snapped. "Why him? Why are you trying to drag _them _into this mess?"

"Simple…so that you listen, stupid girl" He said, rolling his eyes inwardly.

"Built-in sensible adviser" he said, smiling as he tapped his forehead.

"Leave them alone…and you'll get what you want" she offered, though her tone spoke otherwise.

"Yep…cut neatly with a knife" he announced proudly. Mikan resisted the urge to throw up.

Seriously, this guy was disgusting. He looked like the evil form of Narumi.

Ugh…scratch that.

Speaking of Narumi, he must have mustered everyone to their rooms. She sighed in relief. At least there was a protector lurking in the school, apart from the DA class.

She suddenly felt glad that it wasn't Natsume…or Akira…worse, Youichi.

With full determination and a new fury surged inside her, she faced the mascot, gathering every ounce of energy within herself.

"Deal" she muttered, her hands balled into fists.

Tsubasa staggered at her words. Was she really going to do this? Oh god….

No way in hell could she ever survive this…

But yet, there she was, ready to defend what? Those unknowables? Whom she barely knew?

Damn he underestimated her too much…

"See you later….Tsubasa" she nodded towards him, walking forward, with four bodyguards towering around her like a square.

"Mikan!" He blurted out at the retreating figure.

She turned around, gave a small smile and went off, resuming her journey.

Shika swung his arms excitedly, as if pumping some air in to his lungs.

He followed her, whispering something that made her go haywire.

"You do realize that you won't be seeing anyone again?"

**_oooo_**

SO

The two words which repeated on and on in his head.

He was desperate to start a new topic, but unconsciously his mind did always seem to wander to her surroundings.

"Where is she now?" the heart thought.

"Probably stealing some blood, as always" his mind answered irritably.

"I wonder if she is alright…"

"HAH!" The mind shouted. "You never know"

"I wish I knew her whereabouts…" It said, worriedly.

"Suck on it, dope"

"ENOUGH!" The owner of the two organs roared. "If you two say another letter, I swear I'm gonna rip you out!"

There was silence.

"Good" Natsume said, exasperatedly. "'Cause I'm tired"

Both of them seemed to agree much at this point.

Too oblivious of what's happening, he got up, trotting towards his dorm, hoping to catch on some sleep.

To his dismay, a black cat was perched on the bed, lolling its coziness.

He cleared his throat, signaling Morphyl to get out.

The cat sat up, barely grinning.

"We need to talk, Hyuuga" It said, looking at him straight in the eye.

Natsume found this rather amusing. It was not every day that you could see a cat sitting obediently to _talk_ about business.

But as usual, it reminded him of her, which he really wanted to forget at the present moment. Instead of his smirks, he settled for the death glares.

"I see you're annoying. Just like your mistress" he snapped, staring at him, damn frustrated.

"Like I care" It said, shrugging. It leapt up from the bed and walked towards him, stopping near his legs. Then, ever-so-slightly with its best bold look, it looked up to see his fiery red eyes returning the gesture.

Morphyl sighed and sat there, motioning Natsume with his paw to sit down. The guy raised his eyebrow but didn't argue, holding no grudges against the cat.

"There is a reason why I came here" It started, looking at the floor.

"I can see that" he said, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Don't take me wrong-" it continued, hesitating slightly before making up its mind "-but I came here to clear your thoughts about Sami."

**_oooo_**

**Hey guys! I don't even know why I am writing this…but I really appreciate your comments and advice…especially from my beta reader **_**Loveable Angel**_**.**

**And hats off to **_**Crimson Midnight-moon **_**and **_**KeroNya**_** for reviewing each chapter and giving me the strength to move on…**

**Thanks again! Do review!**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	15. Chapter 15

**GA originally belongs to Higuchi Tachibana…. **

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 15

Natsume quirked an eyebrow. The cat fidgeted, trying to form it's affection in words.

At least, it tried.

"Oh, the death princess? Give me a break" he scoffed, striding towards the kitchen and opening the fridge.

"I know this might seem stupid to you now-" Morphyl started. "-but I will appreciate it if you listen." It finished.

"Whoever said that? I don't lend patience, cat" He shot, snapping a can open.

"Natsume…_please_" It whispered, leaning slightly towards him. He felt uneasy at the gesture. Well, who wouldn't? It looked quite weird from the window, the flame caster staring at the animal while the furry pet was moving its lips.

Right….as if he wouldn't hunt down the person who witnessed it.

"I told you, I'm not going to bear any of your love-her-crap" he spat, throwing the can away with full force. It hit the wall, before landing on the floor with a loud clunk.

"Fine! I've had enough! I can't even believe your endurance, Hyuuga. One minute you show this tenderness towards my girl, and the next thing I know, she is out there fighting by herself in the dark!" It said, no longer to keep up with him.

Natsume watched, obviously surprised.

"Wow, mister. Hope you are happy. Fat lot good it did to her to think about you" It snarled, suddenly looking like a murderous brother than a sweet kitten.

"Look" He cut in. "It's not my fault that she is a v-"

He was interrupted immediately.

"So?" It said. "What if she is a vampire? Hyuuga, she would have killed you by now, for all she cared. She didn't even know you and yet she chose to stay human. But why will you care? You're just some sucker who refuses to admit anything good about her, because you know what? You're proud" It rattled, before stopped by him.

"Okay" a fierce growl escaped his lips. "Stop it right there"

Morphyl took a deep breath, smirking. "Why? Too much for you and your blasted ego? Or are you just damn angry to even listen to what I say?"

"Shut up" He hissed, clenching his fists.

"Oooo, someone's hurt. Feel good?" It attacked again, defending her mistress.

"I said shut up"

"Does this feel like daggers in your chest? Think about YOUR actions towards Sakura. It hurt her like hell, Natsume! HELL!" It glared, angry and frustrated by this stupid individual.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" He screeched, picking up the vase and throwing it towards the cat. It leaped gracefully and landed on the window sill, shaking its head in distress.

"You disgust me, Hyuuga" It said, looking at his red face and his balled fingers. With a click of its tongue, it jumped down, transforming into an eagle and flying away in the darkness.

He caught hold of his breath and leaned against the wall, the words of the cat echoing in his head.

"_So? What if she is a vampire?"_

"_Fat lot good it did to her to think about you"_

"_I can't believe your endurance, Hyuuga"_

"_Too much for you and your blasted ego?"_

"DAMN YOU, SAKURA!" He shouted angrily, holding his head in his hands as he slid down the wall, shaking the thoughts away.

**_oooo_**

Meanwhile, two girls could be seen, stalking the corridors late at night, to meet a certain inventor.

It was quite eerie, especially since everyone was back at in their rooms, probably sleeping.

"I'm here" a cold voice called and both girls screamed, jumping in fright at the sudden sound.

There entered a girl, with short, cropped black hair. Her amethyst eyes observed the surroundings, ending her gaze upon the two slightly shaking figures.

"Unless you don't want to end up being punished, I suggest that you stop crying out loud" she said calmly, as she approached them.

"I-Imai-i-san-n!" whispered a terrified Anna. "You s-scared-d us-s!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes. These two twins were despicable, even with their matured faces.

"Get to the point, Anna" she said coldly.

The said girl jumped a bit from the bored reply, but came forward hesitantly.

"Umm, Imai-san, as I informed you about the situation, Nonoko-chan is having a problem with her Alice." Nonoko nodded fearfully.

"Yes, I've established that"

"Good" she breathed.

"The point?" she reminded her.

"Oh yeah, so I was hoping that you could spare some amount of ordeal for this special case" She gulped.

"I might Ogarashiwi, but on one condition" Her eyes glinted maliciously.

The girls nodded yet again, fishing out rabbits their pockets. Hotaru smirked.

"Now we are talking business. That will be 10,000 rabbits, girls." She motioned lazily as she took out a remote control and punched a code.

Immediately a kangaroo popped in front of them, expanding its pouch expectantly.

After the money exchange, the girls departed, dazed by the genius.

"Oh, and by the way, Anna" she said. The girl perked up, turning around.

"Yeah, Imai-san?"

"I got admitted in your school. So, see you tomorrow" She added.

The looks on their faces were priceless.

**_oooo_**

"So…basically, I have to kill people?" She asked, disgusted.

He laughed at her mere assumption, twirling round in his chair.

"No, my dear. All you have to do is steal their Alices, and suck the life out of them, to be precise. You can hit two birds with one stone, Sakura" He smiled, seeing her raise her eyebrow in contempt.

"And what if I don't do it?" She asked, weighing her escape.

"Then today at exactly 4:00 pm, you will carry Natsume's body to the morgue, rather graveyard." He said, checking his watch.

She flinched. Man, he was rough.

"Change your mind?"

"Ugh…like I have a choice" She muttered.

"Good. Work begins at midnight. You are dismissed."

She grimaced, getting up from the chair and following the bodyguards.

"One more thing" he called out. She stopped, her back facing him.

"Be nice to your new guest" Shika said, smiling secretly. She narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, of course. Bring me a stuck-up-sickness bag while you're at It." she replied sarcastically.

He grinned before dismissing them with his hand.

"Till then, Mikan" He mumbled, smiling inwardly.

**_oooo_**

She walked along the damp hallways, a bit different from her school ones. The sound of water leaking on a metal was enough to drive her crazy.

Unable to contain herself any longer, she decided to hit on some guards.

"You ever take those shades off?" she muttered, staring at the bulgy man. He looked at her (well, through the black glasses), his eyebrows knitted together.

"No" he replied, resuming his walk.

She sighed again. Damn the Alice barriers or she could have killed them all with one touch of her hand.

"I just hope Natsume's okay" she thought worriedly as the words of the ESP's threat came barging in her mind.

"This is your room" The man said, making way for a better view of the flat. Surprisingly, it was well-lit and spacious.

"What, no spiders? No rusty pipes?" she said loudly, peering into the box.

He smirked. "Give boss some credit, little lady. He isn't that harsh" he said, pushing her into the bedroom.

"Figures" she muttered, looking around for any windows.

"Don't get your hopes too high" he said aloud, guessing her plan. "He knows his ways of torturing you."

"Yeah, thanks for the information, but I really need some human hours, if you don't mind" She spat, closing the door behind her. She heard the turning of the key into the lock and sighed.

"Great…Now what?"

**_oooo_**

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! But don't forget to add some more for this chapter.**

**Enjoy reading! And for those who are interested in my other works, kindly click on my profile and see the newest story that I have published, namely An Uneventful Life.**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm not going to write a disclaimer. We all know that this anime is NEVER going to be mine. So there!**

A Faded Rose

Chapter: 16

Against his better judgment, his conscience won. And so here he was, looking for Mikan, again. It was the second day since her absence and frankly, he was feeling suspicious.

Sure, if the Academy had provided more missions than necessary, but it didn't take a lot of time to recover from the pain. Besides, she was strong, and didn't back off so easily.

Hence, the search. "Where the hell are you, Mikan?" He called out in the Northern Woods. It felt kind of weird, calling her name out, but he couldn't deny the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins and the faint flutter of his heart when he said her name aloud.

Of course, that was obvious. He was in love with her.

"Dammit." He cursed silently under his breath. Hours of searching and he hadn't struck gold. He ran ah and through his tousled raven hair trying to think a specific spot where she could be, resting or merely testing her new 'skills'.

He grimaced, remembering the vampire incident. Ever since she had shown her true face, his ties with her had weakened and he had found himself alone, without her timely interference, or maybe him witnessing her walking with Phylon.

"Searching is delightful business, isn't it?" He asked out to no one in particular. He sighed, placing a hand on his forehead.

"Now what am I supposed to do?"

**_OooooO_**

She was devastated.

No, broken would be the right word.

Her hand traced the victim's jaw, as she slowly took his life away, while he moaned in frustration, trying to tow her fingers away. She shook her head and locked him in place, the other free hand stealing his unique gift, which she was destined to take. The man fell down on the bed, dead.

Ever so slightly, Mikan picked him up and teleported him towards the graveyard, where a grave was already in place, with his name written in bold letters. She put him down the muddy hole and smiled sadly, dropping a withered tulip over his dead body.

A jaguar crept beside her, moaning softly. Fire ripped through its paws. She patted its flaming fur and the animal snuggled against her legs.

"Thanks for digging the tomb." She said. It purred loudly, walking towards the heaped sand. Mikan picked up the shovel and gruffly shoved the dug-up earth back to its place. With a small exception of someone's mass.

Phylon nudged her hand after they had finished. Each death was a more brutal one, whatever the consequences. She could already feel the guilt going numb after so many missions. Her hand threw the tool towards the ground, her eyes a bit watery.

"R.I.P…Jake" She mumbled, wiping the tears that threatened to come out of her eyelids. Her body evaporated, as she teleported towards her dorm, escaping from her own built in graveyard.

**_OooooO_**

"Ah!" The teacher cried, twirling his way towards the desk. He let out a happy sigh before straightening himself towards the class, and eyeing a few…..lovebirds.

Yes, you could say that Koko, the mind reader, was in love with Sumire. The said person stared at her green eyes, lost in the swarming bush liquid. Of course, who could blame him? They say love is blind.

The same applied for the class representative, Iinchou. Eyeing the pink-haired girl from the corner of his eye, all he could dream of was a happy ending. Seemed like without Mikan, everyone was…happy.

"Hello, dear earthlings!" He gaily announced to the class. "How nice to see love blossoming in the air!" He cried, clapping his hands together.

If a certain fire-caster would be present, all he would say was "Shut up, gaytard. Love, my ass." Sadly, such a person could not be sighted, except for a raven-haired girl with amethyst eyes, who was currently in a very foul mood.

"Before we start our chubby, cute lesson, I would like to announce the arrival of a new transfer student!" The high-pitched voice rang loudly. A few groaned. But the rest were quite happy.

"Come in…..Imai-san" He said, loud enough for the whole universe to hear. The girl walked towards the class and found herself telling her name.

"Hotaru Imai. Invention Alice. Three stars." She said coldly, her gaze never landing on one person. Boys drooled while girls snorted. How pathetic.

"Imai-san, you may sit beside Ruka-kun." Narumi said, happily pairing up the two as a couple. She nodded curtly before walking off towards the desk and meeting a boy with a bunny. Ruka decided to introduce himself.

"Hello Imai-san. My name is-"

"I know. Ruka Nogi. Stop talking to me." She interrupted him before he could go any further. He was a bit surprised at her coldness, but he had practice with Mikan before, so he merely smiled a sad smile.

"So like her" He muttered, low enough for his ears to hear.

Too bad she caught it.

**_OooooO_**

"Sir, what do you intend on doing with her?" The brisk voice asked the person who was currently wheeling around in his chair, his thoughts directed towards one person. That person who had surprised him to no extent.

How different was she from others. Silently creeping in the shadows, hoping that no one would catch her and thus leave her unnoticed. Her life could be so much better in some ways.

He smiled, twirling to a stop. "She is very unique. I can use her for the upcoming war." He replied, absent mindedly tracing the length of the table.

"But will the higher officials agree with her recruitment?"

He sighed, before intertwining his hands together, his eyebrows knitted in deep thought. "We can try. I'll pull a few strings, if absolutely necessary." The listener bobbed his head up and down, and with a quick bow, walked towards the door.

"You will be one handful, Sakura." He muttered as the door closed before him.

**_OooooO_**

"You know…." It started, but then stopped, contemplating on the fact before itself.

Currently, it was walking towards the dorms, where several girls, after eyeing the oh-so-adorable-cat-which-looks-like-Natsume-kun, squealed and gushed about, merely strangling it in the process.

"She's so going to get it, that girl." He muttered, squirming under a manicured hand.

"Oh My God! It's so damn cute!"

"I know! I wish I could cuddle him to death!"

"Here Kitty! Come to mommy!"

That crossed the line.

It growled, transforming into a jaguar in a few minutes, before glaring at them. The voice bounced off the hallways. Girls staggered back, suddenly afraid. It let out a sigh of relief, trotting towards the Northern Forest for some peace and quiet.

Hours passed.

Still no sign of its mistress.

"Way to go Morphyl." It said sarcastically, turning into an eagle. The girl had to be somewhere, for crying out loud. After what had happened in her room that day, when she tried to eat it, it was very difficult to meet her, especially since Persona kept hovering around the animal, sending tabs and spies.

That was certainly infuriating.

Speaking of the word, someone _quite_ familiar was calling her name out in the woods.

Someone so much like the black cat.

Its eyes narrowed, swooping down to perch upon a tree branch, watching the raven haired boy's activity.

"Mikan! Where are you?" He shouted.

The eagle snorted. "Hyuuga, you and I both know that she isn't going to answer"

Natsume turned around, scowling in frustration. "Why do you even care? Last time I checked, I disgust you"

Morphyl rolled his eyes, transforming into a cat. "She IS still my master, genius. And as much as you are prancing here and there, calling her, I'm worried about her too."

He raised his eyebrow. "And to think that cats didn't have feelings"

"Pardon me, mister, but I'm sorry to say that you are a cat too. There is a reason why everyone calls you the Black Cat"

"I already know that. Stop pestering me, fur ball" He snapped.

The cat hissed, crouching on the ground.

"Call me fur ball one more time" it said through its teeth.

"What happened fluffy? Cat got your tongue?" He smirked.

It sighed. "Look, I hate you too. But right now, our first priority should be finding her…not indulging in everyday battles. We've got plenty of time for this afterwards."

He looked at it. "Knocked some sense in that fuzzy little brain of yours?"

"Shut up."

**_OooooO_**

**Yeah…..a SUPER late update…..like about 2 months? :P Sorry…. :)**

**I had exams and all, so couldn't concentrate on the story…I swear I'm going to update every week from now on….seem better? :)**

**Anyways, do review! And don't forget to enjoy!**

**The next chapters will show Mikan's past, a bit. So, stay tuned!**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewel15**


	17. Chapter 17

**So here is the chapter I promised to update next week, which is technically this week…Enjoy!**

_**A Faded Rose**_

Chapter: 17

Suspiciously, the day was long.

It was as if God was taunting him. Making him believe that she had left him, alone. For eternity.

He walked silently, along with Morphyl, who had transformed into an eagle. His thoughts were somewhat regretful, trying to gulp the fact that she had gone. But a few parts strongly rebelled against it, shaking their heads at his lack of trust.

After all, she was his lady. His girl. His princess, whatever maybe her personality. How incorrect was he, assuming such idiotic thoughts. She was his only light, though she herself had fallen in the hole.

"Hyuuga" it called, motioning him to follow the scavenger, as they trotted deeper into the Southern woods, trying to find the mistress.

Natsume walked faster, hands in his pockets, frowning at the faded steps embedded in the mud. It was hard to read, no doubt. But nevertheless, he stopped.

"Oi, fur ball" He said, examining the patterns of the shoe. His hands brushed against the spot and stopped just at the bottom.

There was a drop of dried blood against it.

"What?" Morphyl asked, irritated as it sped up to the spot where Natsume was kneeling.

"Look at this"

It peered over his shoulder, immediately taking the shape like a dog. It sniffed at the scent of blood, trying to make out the familiar but faint perfume lingering in the air.

"The blood is approximately three and a half days old. But the scent is still fresh." Morphyl mused out loud, padding the print with its paw.

Natsume narrowed his eyes, cringing at the thought of wounded, even though it was faint. "Of course. Now hurry up and catch its scent. We might get lucky."

It huffed, but silently sniffed the air. Its eyes widened and it barked in delight.

"Keep your irritating voice down. We don't want complications right now" He growled.

"Hyuuga!" It pumped, excited.

"What?"

"It's the smell of tangerines!"

He stopped suddenly, processing the sentence in his brain. Tangerines…..weren't that her familiar scent? Didn't she cloud his vision just for the day by a whiff of that perfume? The sweet intoxicating smell that filled his every breath was too hard to forget. And now, finally, he had got a path. A path to his love. His soon-to-be wife.

"Thank god!" It whispered in relief. He inwardly nodded, as he felt a huge stressful emotion slip off his fingers like water, which had up till now, been solid ice.

"C'mon Hyuuga, what are you waiting for? Don't you want to meet her?" It said, running towards the scent that directed it.

He looked at the retreating figure and kicked his legs. Persona hadn't trained him for nothing.

Matching Morphyl's pace, he said, "Whoever said anything about waiting? Get your ears checked, cat"

It smirked. "Well then, here's the deal. First one, who reaches her, gets to kiss her on the mouth"

The reaction was instantaneous, as Natsume smiled smugly. "You might be an exception. I might be excused."

"Not unless I can transform into a human." It smirked, gloating evilly.

"No one messes with me" He muttered, fastening his pace. It smiled.

"_You have finally got your lover, Mikan"_ the animal thought, as it stared at the red eyes, full of determination and love.

**_OooooO_**

A normal day, was what an animal lover would have said if asked, probably owing to the fact that a vampire was not loose in the Northern Forest, which would ravenously kill his friends.

But for the new transfer student, it was rather interesting. Maybe, because, she had _finally_ found her friend.

Her long-lost best friend, who had suddenly disappeared without a trace. Surely, that was what best friends would do. Never leave their side.

"Nogi" The voice called out to the farm, where a blonde was feeding grains of rice to his feathery friends.

The said person whirled around and smiled warmly, though it did not reach his eyes.

"Ah, Imai-san. To what do I owe you this pleasure?" He asked in a gentlemanly fashion.

She got to the point. "Who is 'she'? Is she Mikan?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "She? Sakura-san? I didn't quite get you"

Imai stopped at the word 'Sakura'. So, she was right. Mikan was really here. Her heart gave a hopeful beat of finding her, as her eyes lit up minutely.

She lifted up her trusty baka gun. "I'll give you thirty seconds, Nogi. Answer me. Where is Mikan?"

His feet backed up a little, and no words left his mouth.

"Twenty-five and counting" She said monotonously. He gulped.

"U-Um-m….S-she's not-t here-e" He stammered. Her eyes narrowed.

"Eighteen seconds. What do you mean, she's not here? I'll make your life a living hell if you don't answer in less than ten seconds" She hissed.

"I-I really-y don't know!" He shouted, recoiling from her aura. "It's been three days since she disappeared!"

Hotaru lowered the gun, a million reasons penetrating her mind. Where could she be? Could it be that she knew her best friend was coming for her, and, as a result, she ran away? Or was she hiding from her?

So many questions. Yet, a few uncertain answers. But all rang one sentence through her thoughts.

She had to find Mikan. She just had to.

**_OooooO_**

"Are you finished with the assignment, Sakura-san?" A blonde asked to the girl who was currently standing in front of the reception, her eyes narrowed.

"Yes" She said emotionlessly, placing the two Alice stones on the front desk.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-san. But, the principal said that you, yourself should turn these stones to him."

Mikan's cold gaze landed upon the pretty girl's orbs. She flinched but kept her composure.

"Its fine" She said in a dark voice as she snatched the objects and walked towards the wretched room.

She banged the door open, not bothering about etiquettes as she stormed into the room and threw the stones on the table.

"Your toys are here" She spat, turning around.

A deep voice cut her walk. "My, my, Mikan. Is this what Persona taught you?" He asked, gazing at the now cracked door.

"Don't you dare take that bastard's name in front of me" She hissed, her back facing the Elementary School Principal.

"Still rebellious, I see?" He asked, his fingers knitted in a crisp order. She stalked off, not bothering to answer him. He sighed.

"Little girl" He said, staring at the ceiling. "Whatever should we do to you?"

Meanwhile, in another side of the door, a girl with auburn hair was pissed.

Pissed at the fact that she was helpless.

In custody.

There was no way out, however she could put it.

Simply said, it was a dead end. Where she would keep working for that lunatic and never live her long-dreamed future. Her eyes sadly traced the dull walls of the mansion, an Alice barrier situated around her. How she wished that the wall was a sheet of glass, which could be easily broken.

Add this, plus the fact that no one was here. Everyone were engrossed with their work, and Mikan was not allowed to go outside, except to her own garden, which was obviously, full of Alice restraints.

"Well, can't do much here" She muttered, as she exited out of the door and into the Faded Rose, as they used to call it.

It was undoubtedly; full of Black roses, which filled the scent and gave a depressing aura, a mixture of coldness and despair.

She smiled emotionlessly as she picked up one, remembering the time when she had threw a red rose over Persona's dead body. It would have probably withered, by now.

"Ironic, isn't it?" She called out to the air. "I'm supposed to be the Faded Rose here, after what happened to me" A lone tear escaped her eye.

She laughed bitterly, as she wiped it away, sitting below a Sakura tree.

"Of all the places-" She whispered to the branches. "-you end up here, with me. Well, soon enough, you are going to join the others, just like me. You won't be able to say anything, because you are too naïve to understand it. You will lose all sanity and become a puppet" The petals flowed in response.

She looked at her hands, cursing their doings silently. Well, who wouldn't? She had a fate worse than death, she herself, being an immortal.

She got up, glancing at the odd one out in the garden. "Your time will come" She mumbled as she sped off towards her room at an inhuman speed.

**_OooooO_**

**So, basically in this chapter I highlighted my REAL reason to name the story "A Faded Rose" :)**

**And also, I was thinking of editing the first two chapters of this story, since they are quite embarrassing and they do contain some mistakes.**

**Leave a review :)**

**Ja Ne~!**

**Burntjewels15**


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